---
kind: "unit"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Employees' Benefits"
key: "chIII/part404/subpartP"
level: "subpart"
label: "Subpart P"
heading: "Determining Disability and Blindness"
release: "ecfr-current"
date: "2026-08-27"
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/20/chIII-part404-subpartP"
sections_count: 98
---

# Subpart P — Determining Disability and Blindness

Title 20 C.F.R. — Employees' Benefits › Chapter III — Social Security Administration › Part 404 — Federal Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (1950 )

## Sections

- [§404.1501. Scope of subpart.](/cfr/20/404.1501.md)
- [§404.1502. Definitions for this subpart.](/cfr/20/404.1502.md)
- [§404.1503. Who makes disability and blindness determinations.](/cfr/20/404.1503.md)
- [§404.1503a. Program integrity.](/cfr/20/404.1503a.md)
- [§404.1503b. Evidence from excluded medical sources of evidence.](/cfr/20/404.1503b.md)
- [§404.1504. Decisions by other governmental agencies and nongovernmental entities.](/cfr/20/404.1504.md)
- [§404.1505. Basic definition of disability.](/cfr/20/404.1505.md)
- [§404.1506. When we will not consider your impairment.](/cfr/20/404.1506.md)
- [§404.1508. Reserved](/cfr/20/404.1508.md)
- [§404.1509. How long the impairment must last.](/cfr/20/404.1509.md)
- [§404.1510. Meaning of substantial gainful activity.](/cfr/20/404.1510.md)
- [§404.1511. Definition of a disabling impairment.](/cfr/20/404.1511.md)
- [§404.1512. Responsibility for evidence.](/cfr/20/404.1512.md)
- [§404.1513. Categories of evidence.](/cfr/20/404.1513.md)
- [§404.1513a. Evidence from our Federal or State agency medical or psychological consultants.](/cfr/20/404.1513a.md)
- [§404.1514. When we will purchase existing evidence.](/cfr/20/404.1514.md)
- [§404.1515. Where and how to submit evidence.](/cfr/20/404.1515.md)
- [§404.1516. If you fail to submit medical and other evidence.](/cfr/20/404.1516.md)
- [§404.1517. Consultative examination at our expense.](/cfr/20/404.1517.md)
- [§404.1518. If you do not appear at a consultative examination.](/cfr/20/404.1518.md)
- [§404.1519. The consultative examination.](/cfr/20/404.1519.md)
- [§404.1519a. When we will purchase a consultative examination and how we will use it.](/cfr/20/404.1519a.md)
- [§404.1519b. When we will not purchase a consultative examination.](/cfr/20/404.1519b.md)
- [§404.1519f. Type of purchased examinations.](/cfr/20/404.1519f.md)
- [§404.1519g. Who we will select to perform a consultative examination.](/cfr/20/404.1519g.md)
- [§404.1519h. Your medical source.](/cfr/20/404.1519h.md)
- [§404.1519i. Other sources for consultative examinations.](/cfr/20/404.1519i.md)
- [§404.1519j. Objections to the medical source designated to perform the consultative examination.](/cfr/20/404.1519j.md)
- [§404.1519k. Purchase of medical examinations, laboratory tests, and other services.](/cfr/20/404.1519k.md)
- [§404.1519m. Diagnostic tests or procedures.](/cfr/20/404.1519m.md)
- [§404.1519n. Informing the medical source of examination scheduling, report content, and signature requirements.](/cfr/20/404.1519n.md)
- [§404.1519o. When a properly signed consultative examination report has not been received.](/cfr/20/404.1519o.md)
- [§404.1519p. Reviewing reports of consultative examinations.](/cfr/20/404.1519p.md)
- [§404.1519q. Conflict of interest.](/cfr/20/404.1519q.md)
- [§404.1519s. Authorizing and monitoring the consultative examination.](/cfr/20/404.1519s.md)
- [§404.1519t. Consultative examination oversight.](/cfr/20/404.1519t.md)
- [§404.1520. Evaluation of disability in general.](/cfr/20/404.1520.md)
- [§404.1520a. Evaluation of mental impairments.](/cfr/20/404.1520a.md)
- [§404.1520b. How we consider evidence.](/cfr/20/404.1520b.md)
- [§404.1520c. How we consider and articulate medical opinions and prior administrative medical findings for claims filed on or after March 27, 2017.](/cfr/20/404.1520c.md)
- [§404.1521. Establishing that you have a medically determinable impairment(s).](/cfr/20/404.1521.md)
- [§404.1522. What we mean by an impairment(s) that is not severe.](/cfr/20/404.1522.md)
- [§404.1523. Multiple impairments.](/cfr/20/404.1523.md)
- [§404.1525. Listing of Impairments in appendix 1.](/cfr/20/404.1525.md)
- [§404.1526. Medical equivalence.](/cfr/20/404.1526.md)
- [§404.1527. Evaluating opinion evidence for claims filed before March 27, 2017.](/cfr/20/404.1527.md)
- [§404.1528. Reserved](/cfr/20/404.1528.md)
- [§404.1529. How we evaluate symptoms, including pain.](/cfr/20/404.1529.md)
- [§404.1530. Need to follow prescribed treatment.](/cfr/20/404.1530.md)
- [§404.1535. How we will determine whether your drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing factor material to the determination of disability.](/cfr/20/404.1535.md)
- [§404.1545. Your residual functional capacity.](/cfr/20/404.1545.md)
- [§404.1546. Responsibility for assessing your residual functional capacity.](/cfr/20/404.1546.md)
- [§404.1560. When we will consider your vocational background.](/cfr/20/404.1560.md)
- [§404.1562. Medical-vocational profiles showing an inability to make an adjustment to other work.](/cfr/20/404.1562.md)
- [§404.1563. Your age as a vocational factor.](/cfr/20/404.1563.md)
- [§404.1564. Your education as a vocational factor.](/cfr/20/404.1564.md)
- [§404.1565. Your work experience as a vocational factor.](/cfr/20/404.1565.md)
- [§404.1566. Work which exists in the national economy.](/cfr/20/404.1566.md)
- [§404.1567. Physical exertion requirements.](/cfr/20/404.1567.md)
- [§404.1568. Skill requirements.](/cfr/20/404.1568.md)
- [§404.1569. Listing of Medical-Vocational Guidelines in appendix 2.](/cfr/20/404.1569.md)
- [§404.1569a. Exertional and nonexertional limitations.](/cfr/20/404.1569a.md)
- [§404.1571. General.](/cfr/20/404.1571.md)
- [§404.1572. What we mean by substantial gainful activity.](/cfr/20/404.1572.md)
- [§404.1573. General information about work activity.](/cfr/20/404.1573.md)
- [§404.1574. Evaluation guides if you are an employee.](/cfr/20/404.1574.md)
- [§404.1574a. When and how we will average your earnings.](/cfr/20/404.1574a.md)
- [§404.1575. Evaluation guides if you are self-employed.](/cfr/20/404.1575.md)
- [§404.1576. Impairment-related work expenses.](/cfr/20/404.1576.md)
- [§404.1577. Disability defined for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses for monthly benefits payable for months prior to January 1991.](/cfr/20/404.1577.md)
- [§404.1578. How we determine disability for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses for monthly benefits payable for months prior to January 1991.](/cfr/20/404.1578.md)
- [§404.1579. How we will determine whether your disability continues or ends.](/cfr/20/404.1579.md)
- [§404.1581. Meaning of blindness as defined in the law.](/cfr/20/404.1581.md)
- [§404.1582. A period of disability based on blindness.](/cfr/20/404.1582.md)
- [§404.1583. How we determine disability for blind persons who are age 55 or older.](/cfr/20/404.1583.md)
- [§404.1584. Evaluation of work activity of blind people.](/cfr/20/404.1584.md)
- [§404.1585. Trial work period for persons age 55 or older who are blind.](/cfr/20/404.1585.md)
- [§404.1586. Why and when we will stop your cash benefits.](/cfr/20/404.1586.md)
- [§404.1587. Circumstances under which we may suspend and terminate your benefits before we make a determination.](/cfr/20/404.1587.md)
- [§404.1588. Your responsibility to tell us of events that may change your disability status.](/cfr/20/404.1588.md)
- [§404.1589. We may conduct a review to find out whether you continue to be disabled.](/cfr/20/404.1589.md)
- [§404.1590. When and how often we will conduct a continuing disability review.](/cfr/20/404.1590.md)
- [§404.1591. If your medical recovery was expected and you returned to work.](/cfr/20/404.1591.md)
- [§404.1592. The trial work period.](/cfr/20/404.1592.md)
- [§404.1592a. The reentitlement period.](/cfr/20/404.1592a.md)
- [§404.1592b. What is expedited reinstatement?](/cfr/20/404.1592b.md)
- [§404.1592c. Who is entitled to expedited reinstatement?](/cfr/20/404.1592c.md)
- [§404.1592d. How do I request reinstatement?](/cfr/20/404.1592d.md)
- [§404.1592e. How do we determine provisional benefits?](/cfr/20/404.1592e.md)
- [§404.1592f. How do we determine reinstated benefits?](/cfr/20/404.1592f.md)
- [§404.1593. Medical evidence in continuing disability review cases.](/cfr/20/404.1593.md)
- [§404.1594. How we will determine whether your disability continues or ends.](/cfr/20/404.1594.md)
- [§404.1595. When we determine that you are not now disabled.](/cfr/20/404.1595.md)
- [§404.1596. Circumstances under which we may suspend and terminate your benefits before we make a determination.](/cfr/20/404.1596.md)
- [§404.1597. After we make a determination that you are not now disabled.](/cfr/20/404.1597.md)
- [§404.1597a. Continued benefits pending appeal of a medical cessation determination.](/cfr/20/404.1597a.md)
- [§404.1598. If you become disabled by another impairment(s).](/cfr/20/404.1598.md)
- [§404.1599. Work incentive experiments and rehabilitation demonstration projects in the disability program.](/cfr/20/404.1599.md)