By William Powell of Powell & Denny | Published March 30, 2026 | Posted in Social Security Disability | Tagged Tags: Past Relevant Work, Social Security, social security disability |
What Is “Past Relevant Work” in a Social Security Disability Case—and Why Does Social Security Only Looks Back 5 Years into Your Work History? If you are applying for Social Security Disability benefits, one of the initial questions you will be asked is about your “past relevant work.” Many people are surprised to learn that Read More
Read MoreWhat Is “Residual Functional Capacity” (RFC) in a Social Security Disability Case? If you are applying for Social Security Disability benefits, you may hear the term “Residual Functional Capacity,” or “RFC.” For most people, that phrase does not mean much—but in reality, it is one of the most important parts of your disability case. What Read More
Read MoreWhat Is a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) in an Alabama Workers’ Compensation Case? If you have suffered a serious job injury—particularly to your neck, back, shoulder, hips, or multiple body parts—you may eventually be told that your doctor has ordered a Functional Capacity Evaluation, commonly referred to as an FCE. For most injured workers, this Read More
Read MoreWhat Is a “Severe” Impairment in a Social Security Disability Case? If you have applied for Social Security Disability benefits, you may hear that your condition must be considered “severe” in order to qualify. This raises an obvious question: What does “severe” actually mean? In everyday language, “severe” usually means something extreme or very serious; Read More
Read MoreWhat Are the “Grid Rules” in Social Security Disability Cases? If you are applying for Social Security Disability benefits, you may hear the term: “the Grid Rules.” This sounds complicated, but the basic idea is actually fairly simple—and for some people, it can make the difference between being approved or denied. What Are the Grid Rules? Read More
Read MoreWhat Does It Mean to “Meet a Listing” for Social Security Disability? When applying for Social Security Disability benefits, you may hear the phrase: “Do you meet a listing?” For most people, that question means very little—but it is one of the most important parts of the disability process. What Is a “Listing”? The Social Read More
Read MoreWhat Are the 5 Steps in a Social Security Disability Claim? If you have applied for Social Security Disability benefits—or are thinking about applying—you may hear that your case is evaluated using a “five-step process.” This process is how the Social Security Administration decides whether someone is legally disabled. While it may sound complicated, the Read More
Read MoreDoes Being Found Disabled Mean I Can Never Work Again? One question we are often asked by clients who receive Social Security Disability benefits is whether being declared “disabled” means they can never return to work. The short answer is no. Being found disabled does not mean that you are permanently barred from ever attempting Read More
Read MoreWhat Is “Sheltered Work” and How Does It Affect Social Security Disability Claims? One of the most common misunderstandings about Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims involves work activity. Many people believe that if a person is working at all, they automatically cannot qualify for disability benefits. That is not always Read More
Read MoreIf I Returned to Work, Could I Still Qualify for Disability Benefits? Many people suffer a severe injury, or have a serious medical issue flare up which keeps them from being able to work for a period of time-and they may have even filed for Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)-but fortunately Read More
Read More