Though an individual will usually file a claim for social security disability or SSI disability at a local social security office, the case itself (and by this we mean the evaluation of an individual’s medical records and work history), is not actually worked on by the social security administration. In actuality, a social security office will simply take a person’s claim and then send it off to an entirely separate agency where the case will be examined and decided by a disability examiner.

Disability examiners do not have medical training; but, they are trained to review medical records to look for signs of an individual’s loss of functional ability. For instance, a claimant who applies for disability may allege on their disability application that they have a shoulder injury or pain in their lower back. However, the allegations of such complaints will mean little to a decision-maker unless the medical records that are being read and evaluated actually indicate (or lead the examiner to conclude) that the claimant has loss of function such as, for example, a reduced ability to reach, to lift, to bend, to sit, to stand, etc.

Loss of function, and a claimant’s remaining level of function (known as residual functional capacity) allow disability examiners to decide whether or not a person filing for benefits actually has the ability to go back to work, either in one of their former jobs or in some form of other work.

Obviously, to make this assessment, a social security disability claims examiner needs access not only to a claimant’s medical records but also information regarding their work history. By reviewing the work history, a disability examiner can learn more about the duties and physical and mental requirements of the claimant’s former jobs to determine if they can return to one of these jobs. By reviewing the work history, a disability examiner can also learn if the claimant has job skills that might allow them to perform some other type of work.

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