What does the term “substantial gainful activity” mean?
A. Not only can you not be able to perform your former employment, but taking into consideration all of your physical and/or mental impairments, age, education, and work history, you cannot perform any other form of meaningful employment within the nation’s economy. In determining whether or not you can engage in substantial gainful employment, Social Security examines job opportunities for alternative employment that are hypothetically available to you in the nation’s economy given your limitations regardless of whether such jobs are actually available to you in your local job market given the current economic conditions.
