Does Social Security approve people for drug or alcohol abuse or use?
As to drug and alcohol use, Social Security uses a concept known as DAA materiality. Basically, the thinking goes like this: if a person who is abusing drugs or alcohol were to stop using those substances, would they still be so functionally impaired as to make them unable to work and earn a substantial and gainful income? If the answer is no, they would NOT be found to be disabled.
But, let's say, for example, that a person stopped drinking and their liver had been subjected to so much abuse over time that it was just too late. In that case, the alcohol abuse would NOT be material to the case because you just couldn't "walk back the damage". And that person might get approved. So, long story short, substance abuse doesn't get you approved necessarily. But in can potentially get you approved if the damage remains even if the alcohol or drug use stops.
About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability
Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. For assistance on a disability application or Appeal in NC, click here.
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