Glossary of Terms

Social Security uses hundreds of acronyms and terms that you will come across and that may be confusing to you.  Here is a glossary to help you understand Social Security’s unique language:

ALD – Activities of Daily Living. This phrase refers to the typical activities that one completes on a daily basis. These activities can include everything from work, to brushing teeth, to doing yardwork, to driving to the store, to cooking, etc.  SSA often assesses your claim based on how compromised your ADLs are based on your condition.  For instance, if your medical condition significantly impacts your ability to complete your ADLs, then chances are you are more likely to be found disabled. In the early stages of filing for disability, SSA requires that you submit an ADL Questionnaire.

ALJ – Administrative Law Judge. The ALJ is the actual Judge who oversees Social Security hearings. If you make it to the hearing level, you will definitely present your case before an ALJ. He will ask you some medical and vocational questions and determine your case based on the medical evidence in your file, your vocational background, other specifics of your case such as your age and educational background, and your and my testimonies during the hearing. I am familiar with a great number of Judges here in Georgia and I do my best to satisfy their preferences.

AOD – Alleged Onset Date. This is the date that you claim your disability began. When you apply for benefits and the Social Security phone intake clerk asks when you first became unable to work, the date you provide becomes your AOD. We can change this later on, but it is easier to move the AOD forward (i.e. if the original AOD is March 13, 2007, we can amend to August 5, 2008) than it is to move it backwards. In many cases, the AOD is the day you last worked.

CE – Consultative Examination. In the early stages of your disability claim, SSA will often send you to get an independent medical examination with a physician or psychologist.  These appointments are called Consultative Exams and are often characterized by the doctor filling out a CE form as part of the assessment.  These physical or psychological CE’s are used by Social Security to better gauge your physical or mental health condition. 

DLI – Date Last Insured. This refers to the date through which you are insured for disability benefits. Typically, the more you have worked, the longer you are insured for disability benefits. For example, say you worked the last 20 years straight (perhaps with minor gaps here and there). Chances are, you will be insured for several years after your disability began and therefore will be able to collect benefits for many years.  Those with very little (or no) past work history are typically not insured for very long (or may not be insured for Disability at all). If you are not insured for Disability, then you will have to file for SSI (see below).

DIB – Disability. DIB is merely another acronym which stands for Disability. Another common acronym meaning Disability is SSDI (see below). One more synonym for DIB is Title II benefits (see below).

FCE – Functional Capacity Evaluation. A FCE is a medical examination in which a doctor will focus primarily on the limitations resulting from your physical or mental health condition.  In other words, the doctor will translate your medical condition into physical or mental limitations, even work limitations.  A FCE form typically gets filled out during the examination, and if the FCE form supports your claim for disability, we will submit it to the Judge for review.  An FCE form is a very powerful way of supporting your claim, since it specifically focuses on work limitations resulting from your illness. A related acronym is RFC (Residual Functional Capacity), and is further described below.

Grid Rules – a set of medical-vocational guidelines which are organized in a grid format.  If you are over 50 years of age, you may fit into one of the grid categories and therefore be eligible for disability benefits. Those who are over age 50, have limited vocational skills, and limited education are typically more likely to meet grid requirements and thus be eligible for benefits.  Meeting grid requirements is also known as “gridding out.” For more information on the grid rules, please click on the link.

Listings – Listings are similar to grid rules in that if you meet Listing requirements, you may be eligible for benefits. Listings are a set, or list, of medical impairments that they consider serious enough to consider you disabled. This set is collectively referred to as Social Security Listings, and includes many serious medical problems like chronic heart failure, cystic fibrosis, anxiety disorder, or paranoid schizophrenia.  The list goes on and on. For more information on Social Security Listings, please click on the link.

RFC – Residual Functional Capacity. RFC relates to your capacity for work or other physical or mental abilities. The more compromised your RFC, the better your chances of getting approved for benefits.

SSA – In case you haven’t figured this one out yet, SSA stands for Social Security Administration.  The SSA is the governmental entity in charge of the Disability Benefits programs (SSDI and SSI – see below).

SSDI – Social Security Disability. SSDI, like DIB, is just another acronym for Disability.  More specifically, SSDI signifies the Disability Program administered by SSA which provides benefits to disabled individuals who have paid into the Social Security system based on past work.  Those who have done very little (or no) work, do not qualify for SSDI and can only apply for SSI (see below). One more synonym for SSDI is Title II benefits (see below).

SSI – Supplemental Security Income. One of two SSA disability benefits programs (the other being SSDI).  The SSI program, unlike the SSDI program, is designed for individuals with little or no work experience. They have not paid into the system for disability benefits, so they only qualify for SSI benefits, which are typically much smaller payments. In simple terms, SSI is designed for claimants who are poor.

Title II benefits -SSDI benefits

Title XVI benefits – SSI benefits