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  • Christopher Le

Disability Benefits for Inability to Stand or Walk for Long Periods of Time

If you have extreme difficulty standing or walking for long periods of time, you may qualify for social security disability benefits.


One of the ways the Social Security Administration (SSA) determines whether you qualify for disability benefits is by assessing your work-related limitations and restrictions. SSA does this by having you complete a residual functional capacity (RFC) assessment. An RFC is a detailed report that discusses your work-related limitations and restrictions that result from your medical impairment and diagnosis. The purpose of the RFC is to determine the most you can do on a regular and continual basis.


The following is a list of categories SSA uses to qualify your work-related limitations:

  • Sedentary work takes place mostly sitting down, but allows lifting up to 10 pounds, occasionally carrying objects, and walking and/or standing up to two hours per day.

  • Light work allows lifting up to 20 pounds and frequently lifting and carrying up to 10 pounds, with the majority of the day, 6 of 8 hours, spent standing or walking.

  • Medium work can require lifting up to 50 pounds and frequently lifting and carrying up to 25 pounds.

  • Heavy work can require lifting up to 100 pounds and frequently lifting and carrying up to 50.

  • Very heavy work can require lifting more than 100 pounds and frequently lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds or more.


To qualify for social security disability, you must prove to SSA that you are not capable of doing even a sedentary job. The inability or extreme difficulty to stand or walk for long periods of time is one of the limitations that SSA accepts as a preclusion of sedentary type work. Because even sedentary level of work requires some walking so if you can prove a total inability to stand or walk, you may have a good chance of getting approved for disability . However, just know that sometimes it isn’t that easy as and you may have to meet other criteria to get your disability case approved. That’s why it’s best to consult with an experienced lawyer that can help you through the process.

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