It’s possible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits when trouble concentrating is a symptom of a mental or emotional disability or the result of chronic pain and fatigue from a physical condition—but only if this symptom significantly impacts your ability to work. The Social Security Administration (SSA) groups concentration difficulties under the more general term, “concentration, persistence, and pace.” 
Evidence Necessary to Support a Claim
Evidence is essential to building a strong claim for disability benefits, especially when your condition does not have outwardly visible symptoms. For conditions that cause trouble concentrating, evidence might include:
Work evaluations.
An evaluation can look at how long it takes you to perform typical work tasks such as filing documents or looking up information without help or interruption.
Mental status exams.
In this type of test, the evaluator may ask you to perform simple tasks such as counting down from 100 by threes to see how long it takes you to successfully complete each item.
Psychological tests.
You may need to complete tests to measure both intelligence and memory, focusing on recalling information and using problem-solving skills.
Every case is unique, but the general goal is to show that your productivity has been reduced by 15 to 20 percent compared to your pre-disability work. This is the level at which most vocational experts consider a person to be unemployable.
Sometimes, non-exertional limitations such as trouble concentrating are combined with exertional limitations such as an inability to lift, carry, push, or pull objects to strengthen an applicant’s claim for SSDI benefits. Exertional limitations often limit the applicant to sedentary work, but non-exertional limitations such as trouble concentrating can make it impossible to adequately perform most types of sedentary work—especially when an applicant’s education and work history are limited.
Have You Or A Loved One Been Denied Social Security Disability Benefits?
If you or a loved on has been denied Social Security Disability Benefits you need to speak with an experienced SSD attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Virginia Beach office directly at 757.490.3500 to schedule your free consultation. We have offices throughout Virginia including Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk and Suffolk.
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