Disability Evaluation Under Social Security
(Blue Book- June 2006)
Part III - Listing Of Impairments (Overview)
The Listing of Impairments describes, for each major body system, impairments
that are considered severe enough to prevent a person from doing any gainful
activity (or in the case of children under age 18 applying for SSI, cause
marked and severe functional limitations). Most of the listed impairments
are permanent or expected to result in death, or a specific statement
of duration is made. For all others, the evidence must show that the impairment
has lasted or is expected to last for a continuous period of at least
12 months. The criteria in the Listing of Impairments are applicable to
evaluation of claims for disability benefits or payments under both the
Social Security disability insurance and SSI programs.
Part A
This section of the Listing of Impairments contains medical criteria that
apply to adults age 18 and over. The medical criteria in Part
A may also be applied in evaluating impairments in persons under age
18 if the disease processes have a similar effect on adults and younger
persons.
Part B
This section of the Listing of Impairments contains additional medical
criteria that apply only to the evaluation of impairments of persons under
age 18. Certain criteria in Part A do not give appropriate consideration
to the particular effects of the disease processes in childhood, i.e.,
when the disease process is generally found only in children or when the
disease process differs in its effect on children and adults.
Additional criteria are included in Part
B, and the impairment categories are, to the extent possible, numbered
to maintain a relationship with their counterparts in Part A. In evaluating
disability for a person under age 18, Part B will be used first. If the
medical criteria in Part B do not apply, then the medical criteria in
Part A will be used.
The criteria in the Listing of Impairments apply
only to one step of the multi-step sequential evaluation process. At that
step, the presence of an impairment that meets the criteria in the Listing
of Impairments (or that is of equal severity) is usually sufficient to
establish that an individual who is not working is disabled.
However, the absence of a listing-level
impairment does not mean the individual is not disabled. Rather, it merely
requires the adjudicator to move on to the next step of the process and
apply other rules in order to resolve the issue of disability.
SSA Pub.
No. 64-039
ICN 468600
June 2006
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www.socialsecurity.gov
