VOCATIONAL FACTORS IN SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY

Vocational factors consist of your age, your work history, your work skills, and your educational background. 

Vocational factors come into play when you have applied for Social Security Disability benefits but you do not have a medical or mental condition that matches the requirements for a medical listing in Social Security’s blue book or impairment listing manual. For example, you may not have had the required number of hospitalizations or your blocked artery may not meet the percentage set forth in the blue book, but it is still obvious that you are disabled by your condition. Although your condition may not be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits under those listings, your application can still be approved if the examiner finds that you have a severe disability that prevents you from working.

If you do not meet a "listing," you will need a "mosaic" of medical evidence that shows how severe a combination of your impairments are and how those limitations affect your ability to function in a work environment.