Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability

Navigate the Disability Process with Confidence

Nolo’s Guide to Social Security Disability is your essential resource for understanding and qualifying for disability benefits. Whether you’re dealing with back problems, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders, mental health challenges like depression or anxiety, or any of over 100 other medical conditions, this guide shows you how to match your medical situation to Social Security’s requirements. Written by a former Chief Medical Consultant for the Social Security Administration, this book demystifies the medical rules and regulations, helping you gather the right evidence and present the strongest possible case for your claim. If you’ve already been denied benefits, you’ll find clear steps for discovering why—and practical advice for proving that you deserve benefits on appeal. This latest edition covers recent changes by the Social Security Administration (SSA), including:

new rules on how the SSA collects benefit overpayments
new regulations on how rental subsidies and in-kind income (like free food or shelter) are treated
the agency’s revised definition of past relevant work
the repeal of the windfall elimination provision (WEP) and government pension offset (GPO)
updated 2026 income limits for SSI, as well as new benefit amounts for SSDI and SSI
the latest cap on disability attorney fees

Plus, you’ll get access to downloadable disability listings to help you check if your condition qualifies under Social Security’s criteria and to obtain the necessary medical evidence for your condition. Take the guesswork out of the application process and give yourself the best chance at the benefits you deserve with Nolo’s Guide to Social Security Disability.

Author Biography

David A. Morton has degrees in psychology (B.A.) and medicine (M.D.). For 14 years, he was a disability determination consultant for the Social Security Administration, serving as chief medical consultant for eight years. In his capacity as chief medical consultant, Dr. Morton hired, trained, supervised and evaluated the work of medical doctors and clinical psychologists, and made thousands of disability determinations for both adults and children. Dr. Morton has authored several books on Social Security disability for attorneys and judges.