Social Security Administration October 2, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are providing notice of SSR 18-01p, which rescinds and replaces SSR 83-20, ``Titles II and XVI: Onset of Disability,'' except as noted here. This SSR clarifies how we determine the EOD in disability claims under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act (Act). Specifically, it addresses how we determine the EOD in claims that involve traumatic, non-traumatic, and exacerbating and remitting impairments. This ruling also addresses special considerations related to the EOD, such as work activity and previously adjudicated periods. Additionally, this SSR clarifies that an administrative law judge may, but is not required to, call upon the services of a medical expert, to assist with inferring the date that the claimant first met the statutory definition of disability. We concurrently published a separate SSR, SSR 18-02p, ``Titles II and XVI: Determining the Established Onset Date (EOD) in Blindness Claims,'' to discuss how we determine the EOD in statutory blindness claims. SSR 18-02p rescinds and replaces two parts of SSR 83-20. Specifically, SSR 18-02p rescinds and replaces the subsection, ``Title II: Blindness Cases,'' under the section, ``Technical Requirements and Onset of Disability''; and the subsection, ``Title XVISpecific Onset is Necessary,'' which is also under the section ``Technical Requirements and Onset of Disability,'' as it applies to statutory blindness claims. Therefore, SSR 83-20 is completely rescinded and replaced by SSR 18-01p and SSR 18-02p.