Q: I am 45 years old and have serious back pain, which caused me to lose my job. Why did the disability determination bureau deny my claim?
A: The regulations dictate that in order to qualify for disability benefits under title II or title XVI, you must not only be unable to perform your past jobs, but you must be unable to perform any job in the national economy 20 CFR III § 404.1505 (a). People at the disability determination bureau have looked at your medical records and assessed limitations caused by your impairments. Then they determined that there are jobs that you would be able to perform on a full time basis.
Just because somebody at the bureau denied your claim, does not mean that the fight is over. If you disagree with the decision, then appeal it. You must be denied twice before you could appear before an administrative law judge, who would take a fresh look at all of the evidence.
-Atty. Michael Balter, Social Security Administration Office of Disability Adjudication and Review
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