Obsolete Jobs Removed From Social Security Disability Lists

 Posted on December 06, 2024 in Social Security Disability

When a person applies for Social Security Disability Insurance, one of the ways the administration will decide if he or she is eligible is by trying to find a job the applicant could do in spite of his or her disabilities. The SSA keeps a master list of jobs it uses for this purpose. This may seem helpful for everyone - people may be unaware of a job that is suited to his or her abilities and can often earn more by working than they would receive through SSDI. Up until recently, however, there was a glaring problem with this.

Many of the jobs listed were completely obsolete and no longer a viable option. One man was famously denied because the SSA determined that he could work as a nut sorter - the problem being that there is no such job in modern times. As of this summer, a large number of obsolete jobs have finally been removed from the SSA’s master list. If you were previously denied because an obsolete job matched your abilities, a well-qualified Dallas, TX SSDI attorney can help you re-apply.

Jobs That No Longer Exist and Have Been Removed

The job market is very different today than it was when the SSA originally created its list of jobs. Technology has taken over a large number of jobs that used to be performed by humans, such as log scaling, telephone operating, and barrel assembling. Other jobs removed from the list still exist today but are rare and hard to come by, making them wildly impractical for a person with disabilities to take up, such as genealogist and character impersonator.

Many of the removed jobs are simply no longer useful in modern society. Because microfilm is no longer widely used now that everything is digitalized, there is little need for microfilm processors. While canary breeders used to be very useful in mining communities back when canaries were used to test for the presence of dangerous gases, there is little need for them in modern times.

How Removing Obsolete Jobs Helps SSDI Applicants 

If the SSA is able to identify a job that an applicant could perform, there is a chance that the applicant could be considered "not disabled" because he or she has the option of working. There have been problems for years with people getting denied because they could perform several jobs that were obsolete but still on the list. Now that most obsolete or rare professions have been removed, there is less risk of a disabled applicant being denied because he or she could work one of these obsolete jobs if the job still existed.

Contact a Dallas County, TX SSDI Lawyer 

The Law Offices of Coats & Todd is dedicated to helping disabled people get the Social Security benefits they are entitled to. Our experienced team of Dallas, TX SSDI attorneys will fight for you to get your benefits. Contact us at 972-671-9922 for a complimentary consultation.