SSA Symptom Evaluation in Disability Determinations

The Social Security Administration (SSA) engaged the Office of the Chairman to conduct an independent study reviewing and analyzing SSA’s laws, regulations, policies, and practices concerning evaluation of claimants’ symptoms in the adjudication of social security disability claims.  The Office of the Chairman prepared a report advising SSA on how to best articulate the scope of symptom evaluation in its adjudication process, so as to improve consistency in disability determinations, reduce complaints of bias and misconduct against SSA adjudicators, and lessen the frequency of remands attributable to credibility evaluation.