On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that changes would occur within the disability application and approval process, more specifically SSA decided to remove 114 jobs that were previously cited as jobs that individuals could complete when denying disability benefits.
Some of the jobs that SSA removed included the following:
- Watch Assembler
- Repairer, Auto Clocks
- Genealogist
- Geographer
- Astronomer
- Dispatcher
- Radio Officer
- Wire-Transfer Clerk
- Central- Office Operator
- Impersonator, Character
- Embalmer
- Scuba Diver
- Animal Breeder
- Other removed jobs
Individuals applying for social security disability benefits (SSI and or SSDI) often wait years to get to a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Typically at the hearing level, the ALJ would request expert testimony from a Vocational Expert (VE), and the VE testifies about jobs available that exist in national economy using the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). In a hearing the VE will give codes such as 193.362-010 Photoradio Operator, and inform the ALJ that jobs like this are available in significant numbers for a claimant to adapt to considering their medical conditions The SSA has now identified Photoradio Operator within the 114 occupations that actually do not exist in large numbers and will remove them from usage to deny disability benefits to disabled individuals. SSA also identified other DOT jobs that federal courts have questioned supporting evidence for a finding of "not disabled" and will provide additional information to support significance within those jobs.
SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley stated "By making this update, our decision makers will no longer cite these jobs when denying a disability application."
SSA made no statements on the handling of opinions made in recent days, weeks or months that cited the jobs removed from the DOT. Some opinions recently made and subsequently appealed may be subject to reversal since the removal of the occupations from the DOT.
