Understanding Specific Vocational Preparation in a Disability Case

Specific Vocational Preparation, or SVP, refers to the amount of time needed to prepare in order to work in a specific occupation.  That includes training and learning the duties of the job, as well as acquiring any information that is needed to perform adequately in any given occupation. Training for a job may take place in several places, including a vocational school, art school, high school, the military, on the job training, apprenticeship, or in an institution.   

How the Social Security Administration Uses SVP  

The SSA looks at Specific Vocational Preparation when evaluating what jobs a person may be able to do if he/she can no longer work in his most recent occupation. This helps the SSA know what job would be suitable with the person’s skills and experience, which is an important part of the process of determining a person’s disability. If the SSA decides that you cannot return to your previous work, the next step is to see if you are qualified for another kind of work, and if you are not able to do any type of work, only then will the SSA consider you eligible for benefits.

When considering your readiness to work at a given job, the SSA also looks at transferability of skills to help them determine what might be a suitable job. Skills can transfer if certain conditions are met. One condition looks at whether the level of skill needed is the same or less than needed for the former occupation. Whether another job uses the same tools and machines or ones that are similar to the ones the applicant has previously used is another factor used to determine if skills can transfer. Whether a job uses the same products, services, materials, or processes or similar ones is also important.  

People who previously had skilled jobs will find it harder to qualify for disability benefits because their training and skills can often transfer to lighter-duty jobs that they are capable of doing. 

Classification of Skills

The SSA classifies work into three levels: skilled work, semi-skilled work, and unskilled work, and the level of work you have performed becomes important in assessing your readiness to work at a specific job. Skilled work requires that a worker make judgments, measurements, and computations. This might include reading blueprints, estimating the amount needed and quality of materials, or making adjustments to machines to regulate the work. Other skills involve dealing with people and working with abstract facts and complex ideas. One example of skilled work is a master craftsman. 

Semi-skilled work is the middle ground of jobs and refers to occupations in which some skills are needed. This might include watching machines to see that they are working properly, inspecting goods, or guarding property and materials against damage. Two skills that are included in this classification are dexterity and coordination.

Unskilled work consists of jobs with simple duties that can be learned in a short amount of time, usually less than 30 days. This would include simple jobs like loading and unloading goods or being in charge of certain materials that are put into or taken out of a machine that is operated by someone else. Very little judgment is needed in these types of jobs, and a worker does not gain many skills by doing them.

It is also important to note that certain skills are so specific to a certain occupations that they cannot be easily transferred to or used in other jobs or industries. Examples of these would include these industries: farming, fishing, and mining. 

Getting Help

If you need assistance in understanding specific vocational preparation and how it will impact your disability case, you should strongly consider speaking with a lawyer. Your attorney will explain how your past work will assess the SSA's assessment of you and can help you to take the steps necessary to prepare your application for disability in a manner most likely to get your claim approved.