---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 C.F.R. § 404.1511"
title: "20"
number: "404.1511"
heading: "Definition of a disabling impairment."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/20/404.1511"
---

# §404.1511. Definition of a disabling impairment.

- (a) **Disabled workers, persons disabled since childhood and, for months after December 1990, disabled widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses.** If you are entitled to disability cash benefits as a disabled worker, or to child's insurance benefits, or, for monthly benefits payable after December 1990, to widow's, widower's, or surviving divorced spouse's monthly benefits, a disabling impairment is an impairment (or combination of impairments) which, of itself, is so severe that it meets or equals a set of criteria in the Listing of Impairments in appendix 1 of this subpart or which, when considered with your age, education, and work experience, would result in a finding that you are disabled under [§ 404.1594](/cfr/20/404.1594.md). In determining whether you have a disabling impairment, earnings are not considered.
- (b) **Disabled widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses, for monthly benefits for months prior to January 1991.** If you have been entitled to disability benefits as a disabled widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse and we must decide whether you had a disabling impairment for any time prior to January 1991, a disabling impairment is an impairment (or combination of impairments) which, of itself, was so severe that it met or equaled a set of criteria in the Listing of Impairments in appendix 1 of this subpart, or results in a finding that you were disabled under [§ 404.1579](/cfr/20/404.1579.md). In determining whether you had a disabling impairment, earnings are not considered.

## Notes

### Amendments

[57 FR 30120, July 8, 1992]

### Authority

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 402, 405(a)-(b) and (d)-(h), 416(i), 421(a) and (h)-(j), 422(c), 423, 425, 902(a)(5), and 1320e-3; sec. 211(b), Pub. L. 104-193, 110 Stat. 2105, 2189; sec. 202, Pub. L. 108-203, 118 Stat. 509 (42 U.S.C. 902 note).

### Source

Source: 45 FR 55584, Aug. 20, 1980, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[57 FR 30120, July 8, 1992]