Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to assist people who suffer from long-term disabilities and are unable to work as a result. Around 10 million Americans apply for these benefits every year, however, hundreds of thousands of claimants are denied based on obsolete jobs.
The SSA uses the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, a guide that outlines thousands of different types of work in the U.S. However, this guide has not been updated since 1991, failing to account for the technological advancements that have been made in the past few decades and the development of new jobs.
Implications
When a claimant applies for Social Security disability benefits and gets denied, they have the right to appeal the decision. During the appeal process, the SSA must suggest jobs that the claimant can do under the pretenses of their condition to justify the denial of their claim. However, the SSA will recommend jobs that only a few thousand people in the country perform or those which don’t exist anymore based on the outdated guide, like document preparer and envelope stuffer for example.
The government will then outsource to vocational experts to testify on the validity of these career options and whether these jobs “exist in the national economy where there is a significant number of jobs.” But, experts in the legal field are concerned with this vague reasoning, as vocational experts do not provide real world testimonies for their recommended job positions.
In 2011, the SSA admitted fault to this issue, stating that approximately 10% of denied cases were cited under “jobs that might be obsolete,” but the Dictionary has still yet to be updated.
Contact a Social Security Disability Advocate Today
Without legal assistance from an SSDI attorney, filing for these benefits may be an overwhelming process, especially under the SSA’s intricate standards. If you have been denied disability insurance benefits because of obsolete jobs, an experienced advocate for the disabled can help. A qualified Social Security disability representative at our firm can offer advice on the application process and provide you with legal assistance in any subsequent appeals. To learn more, contact the Khaki Law Firm today for insight on your case.
