When you apply for SSDI or SSI, the Social Security Administration uses a structured five-step sequential evaluation process to determine whether you meet the legal definition of disability. Understanding how this process works can help you anticipate what reviewers are looking for and how to document your claim effectively. Step 1: Are you working above the substantial gainful activity (SGA) threshold?
If you are currently earning more than the SGA limit (in 2025, $1,620 per month for non-blind individuals), the SSA will generally find you are not disabled at this step. If you’re not working above that threshold, the evaluation continues. Step 2: Is your impairment severe? The SSA determines whether your condition significantly limits your ability to perform basic work-related activities.
Conditions that have only a minimal effect on functioning are found non-severe and the claim is denied here. Most documented conditions clear this threshold. Step 3: Does your condition meet or equal a listed impairment? The SSA’s Blue Book contains specific criteria for many common disabling conditions. If your condition meets those criteria with supporting medical evidence, you are found disabled without proceeding further.
Step 4: Can you perform your past relevant work? If your condition doesn’t meet a listing, the SSA evaluates your residual functional capacity (RFC) — what you can still do despite your limitations — and determines whether you could return to any work you’ve done in the past 15 years. Step 5: Can you perform any other work? If you can’t return to past work, the SSA considers your RFC, age, education, and work experience to determine whether there is any work in the national economy you could perform.
If not, you are found disabled.
Our team at Grech Law Firm Attorney & Counselor helps Michigan clients build claims that address each step of this evaluation. Contact us for a free consultation.
