I’m Returning to School: Will It Hurt My Disability Benefit Claim?

Read Time: 4 Minutes

School looks like work in many respects. The ability to sit in class, sustain attention, concentrate, focus, and persist on-task are all aptitudes required of most occupations.

From the Social Security Administration’s perspective: if you can pay attention in class and receive a passing grade, then why can’t you do something similar in the workforce?? Let’s talk about it!

School vs Work

What many people overlook is that there are many jobs in the national economy that are considerably easier than school. Take, for example:

Eyeglass Lens Polisher
Egg Sorter
Toll Booth Attendant
The Person Who Laces Shoes
Parking Lot Attendant
Produce Sorter

For many people, any of these jobs would be easier, mentally and emotionally, than even the most basic college course.

For those who are physically limited as their primary disability, work exists in a similar setting to the traditional classroom. Some examples include:

Survey Completers
Form Processors
Some Telemarketing Positions
Information Desk Clerk

The similarities between these jobs and the physical demands of coursework suggest if you can survive a return to school, you could likely return to work as well.

So, what can you do to further your education without jeopardizing your eligibility for disability benefits?

How Things Have Changed

The concept of school looks different now than at any time in history. With the prevalence of online schooling, it’s much more accessible than most jobs will be.

In fact, students can attend class in their pajamas from bed, control their own pace of learning, and set their own class schedules. I had a client one time tell the judge that she sits in the bathtub to soak her sore back while watching the online lecture.

Having the ability to watch the lecture over and over is considerably different than having to catch and retain information in real-time. Some attention-deficit disorders can be overcome by the repetition of watching the lecture numerous times – an accommodation that isn’t guaranteed in the workforce.

How do these points apply to you? Are they relatable? If so, it’s crucial to communicate where you draw the line between your abilities and your limitations.

Next Steps

The key takeaway is that anytime you discuss your schooling with your doctor and Social Security, you need to take the time to talk about all the things you do to make school possible.

Without this information Social Security will imagine you sitting in class for its duration, diligently taking notes, and processing the information conveyed by the lecture. Afterward, you will walk across campus in a short period of time to another class and do it all over again.

This image is likely considerably different from reality. Part of a successful strategy on your disability claim is controlling the imagination of SSA by telling them what your school experience really looks like.

Here’s How Our Disability Representative Can Help!

As a local representative, our disability advocate will know your case from start to finish. We’ll be involved every step of the way, and you’ll speak to the same person every time.

For that reason, we don’t just fine-tune what you have and put it together in a cut-and-paste format. We’ll meticulously review your case and provide feedback on the weak areas of your application and offer clear directions on what information we need and where you can find them.

Whether you’ve already begun the application process or are just getting started, we encourage you to schedule a FREE consultation to help determine the best strategy for your case 🤗 Our mission is to make your case the easiest one to approve so you can focus on your health and the things that matter.

⏰ Schedule an appointment from anywhere in the US! 📱

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