# 20 C.F.R. § 416.905 (2026): Basic definition of disability for adults

> Federal · Regulations · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_905

## Section

- **Citation:** 20 C.F.R. § 416.905 (2026)
- **Heading:** Basic definition of disability for adults
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Regulations
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Title 20 CFR: Employees' Benefits / Chapter III: SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION / Part 416: SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME FOR THE AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED / Subpart I: Determining Disability and Blindness / § 416.905: § 416.905   Basic definition of disability for adults.

## Text

(a) The law defines disability as the inability to do any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months. To meet this definition, you must have a severe impairment(s) that makes you unable to do your past relevant work (see § 416.960(b)) or any other substantial gainful work that exists in the national economy. If your severe impairment(s) does not meet or medically equal a listing in appendix 1 to subpart P of part 404 of this chapter, we will assess your residual functional capacity as provided in §§ 416.920(e) and 416.945. (
See
§ 416.920(g)(2) and 416.962 for an exception to this rule.) We will use this residual functional capacity assessment to determine if you can do your past relevant work. If we find that you cannot do your past relevant work, we will use the same residual functional capacity assessment and your vocational factors of age, education, and work experience to determine if you can do other work. (
See
§ 416.920(h) for an exception to this rule.)
(b) There are different rules for determining disability for individuals who are statutorily blind. We discuss these in §§ 416.981 through 416.985.
[45 FR 55621, Aug. 20, 1980, as amended at 56 FR 5553, Feb. 11, 1991; 68 FR 51164, Aug. 26, 2003; 77 FR 43495, July 25, 2012]

## Nearby sections

- [20 C.F.R. § 416.901 (2026) § 416.901   Scope of subpart.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_901.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.902 (2026) § 416.902   Definitions for this subpart.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_902.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.903 (2026) § 416.903   Who makes disability and blindness determinations.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_903.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.903a (2026) § 416.903a   Program integrity.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_903a.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.903b (2026) § 416.903b   Evidence from excluded medical sources of evidence.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_903b.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.904 (2026) § 416.904   Decisions by other governmental agencies and nongovernmental entities.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_904.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.905 (2026) § 416.905   Basic definition of disability for adults.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_905.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.906 (2026) § 416.906   Basic definition of disability for children.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_906.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.907 (2026) § 416.907   Disability under a State plan.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_907.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.909 (2026) § 416.909   How long the impairment must last.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_909.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.910 (2026) § 416.910   Meaning of substantial gainful activity.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_910.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.911 (2026) § 416.911   Definition of disabling impairment.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_911.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.912 (2026) § 416.912   Responsibility for evidence.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_912.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 416.913 (2026) § 416.913   Categories of evidence.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_913.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P416_S416_905. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.