The aches and pains you deal with on a daily basis because of rheumatoid arthritis make working difficult, to say the least. You sit at a desk and work on a computer, which means your back, knees, wrists, and knuckles are constantly punished, and although Pennsylvania has many different medical facilities that help patients manage rheumatoid arthritis—working is still painful.

You’ve decided to apply for Social Security, and they want to analyze your ability to work—whether you are able to continue the same work or do something else.

Can You Perform the Type of Work You Did in the Past?

Social Security often looks at your previous employment history when determining if you can perform the same level of skills now that you did in the past. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will look at the:

• Job description. The SSA will examine the type of work you performed, the skills needed to complete the job, the hours you worked, and other similar factors.
• Difficulties you had at the job. The Administration will likely take a look at any help you needed because of your RA, how many days you were absent because of the pain, and how often you required rest breaks.
• Physical demands of the job. This includes how long you had to sit, type, stand, lift heavy objects, and other similar information.
• How your medical condition affected your performance. This could include when you were diagnosed, when you had to stop working, and why.

We Can Help

The attorneys of Schmidt Kramer want to help take some of the burden off of your shoulders. Contact us today to learn how we may be able to help you with your application, and what you can do if you are denied.

We invite you to contact us today by calling us toll free at (717) 888-8888.

Related Links:

• Women and Social Security in Pennsylvania
• Are You Disabled Enough to Receive Social Security?