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The 5-Step Disability Evaluation Process Explained

When you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not simply look at your diagnosis and decide. Instead, it follows a strict, ordered process called the five-step sequential evaluation. This framework ensures consistent decisions across the country, including for applicants in Melbourne, Brevard County, and the wider Space Coast area.

This exact framework was designed to provide consistency for applicants from all over the country including Brevard County.

Disability Determination Services (DDS) examiners and, later, Administrative Law Judges use these same five steps. The process is complete when a clear determination about disability status has been reached. Understanding each step helps you know what evidence matters most and where many claims succeed or fail.

Step 1: Are You Engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)?

The very first point they will investigate is if the applicant is working at a sustainable level. In 2026, the monthly SGA earnings limit is $1,690 for non-blind individuals and $2,830 for individuals who meet the statutory definition of blindness. These figures are adjusted annually.

Step 2: Do You Have a Severe Medically Determinable Impairment?

Here, the SSA determines whether you have one or more medically determinable physical or mental impairments which may prevent you from walking, standing, remembering things, concentrating or working with others.

The impairment must meet the duration rule, or the claim will be denied. The impairment must be expected to last 12 months or longer.

• Minor or short-term conditions usually fail here.
• A combination of impairments can be considered together if none alone is severe.

Step 3: Does Your Impairment Meet or Equal a Listing?

Looking through the SSA’s Blue Book, you will see a list of ailments which qualify people for disability. Categories include musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, mental disorders, cancer, immune system disorders, and others.

Most claims do not meet a listing exactly. When they do not, the SSA assesses your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC)—what you can still do despite your limitations—and proceeds to Steps 4 and 5.

Step 4: Can You Perform Your Past Relevant Work?

If your ailment does not meet listing requirements, the SSA evaluates whether you can still perform any of the work you have done in the past (generally the last five years, or longer in some cases), either as you actually performed it or as it is generally performed in the national economy.

Your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) is compared to the physical and mental demands of that past work.

Presenting your entire work history in an accurate and concise manner is very important at this stage.

Step 5: Can You Adjust to Any Other Work?

This is the final step and can often be the most complex one. The SSA will look at your case in its entirety and decide if they think you can still perform other duties in a different career field.

The agency uses vocational guidelines (the “grids”) and may consult a vocational expert, especially at a hearing. Age, work experience, and transferrable skills come into consideration here. If the SSA concludes there is other work you can do, the claim is denied.