How We Decide If You Are Disabled

To decide whether you are disabled, we use a step-by-step process involving five questions. They are:

1. Are you working?

   If you are working in 2008 and your earnings average more than $940 a month, you generally cannot be considered disabled.

   If you are not working, we go to Step 2.

2. Is your condition "severe"?

   Your condition must interfere with basic work-related activities for your claim to be considered. If it does not, we will find that you are not disabled. If your condition does interfere with basic work-related activities, we go to Step 3.