Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) is a formal administrative assessment used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to evaluate a person’s ability to perform work-related activities despite having a medically determinable impairment. This assessment is a necessary step in the process of deciding a claim for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The RFC determination serves as the bridge between a person’s medical condition and the vocational requirements of the workplace. It is a comprehensive tool focused on the capabilities that remain despite the limitations caused by their health condition.
Defining the Scope of Residual Functional Capacity
The Social Security Administration formally defines Residual Functional Capacity as the maximum amount of work-related physical and mental activity an individual can perform on a regular and sustained basis. This regular and sustained basis is generally interpreted as working eight hours a day, five days a week, or an equivalent schedule. This definition is rooted in federal regulations, specifically 20 CFR 404.1545 and 416.945.
RFC is not a medical diagnosis; instead, it is an administrative assessment that quantifies the functional impact of a medical condition. The assessment must consider all medically determinable impairments, including any related symptoms like pain or fatigue. The focus is on remaining capabilities, determining what a person is still able to do in a work setting despite their limitations.
Categories of Limitation Assessed
The RFC evaluation is detailed, breaking down an individual’s work capacity into three main categories of limitation. These categories ensure the assessment captures the full spectrum of restrictions an impairment may impose on a person’s ability to work.
Physical Limitations
Physical limitations are divided into exertional and non-exertional restrictions. Exertional limitations involve strength and stamina for activities like sitting, standing, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling. Non-exertional physical limitations include manipulative functions, such as the ability to reach, handle, or finger objects, as well as postural activities like stooping, crouching, kneeling, or climbing. The assessment also considers sensory restrictions, such as limitations in hearing, speaking, or vision.
Mental Limitations
Mental limitations focus on the cognitive and psychological demands of a standard work environment. These restrictions are assessed in terms of the ability to understand, remember, and carry out instructions. The evaluation also examines capacity for sustained concentration and persistence, interaction with supervisors and co-workers, and the capacity to respond to customary work pressures.
Environmental Limitations
Environmental limitations address restrictions related to a person’s tolerance for specific workplace hazards or conditions. This includes exposure to temperature extremes, excessive noise, vibration, fumes, dust, or poor ventilation. A person with a respiratory condition, for instance, might have an RFC that prohibits concentrated exposure to dust or fumes.
The Process of Determining Residual Functional Capacity
The determination of a claimant’s RFC is performed by the Disability Determination Services (DDS), a state agency that works in cooperation with the SSA. When a claim is filed, the DDS claims examiner partners with a medical consultant, typically a state agency physician or psychologist, who reviews the entire case file. These medical consultants do not personally examine the claimant; instead, they review the existing medical evidence to form a professional opinion on the person’s functional capacity.
The evidence used to determine the RFC is comprehensive, drawing primarily from the claimant’s medical records, including objective evidence like clinical findings and diagnostic test results. The opinions of treating physicians are also considered, but the SSA decision-maker is ultimately responsible for the final RFC finding. The claimant’s own statements about their symptoms and how they affect daily functioning are also weighed, but these subjective reports must be consistent with the objective medical evidence in the file.
The DDS consultant uses specialized forms—Physical RFC Assessment and Mental RFC Assessment forms—to document their findings on a function-by-function basis. This formal documentation outlines the specific limitations, such as how long a person can sit or stand, or their capacity for handling stress.
How RFC Influences the Disability Decision
The determined RFC is the central factor used by the SSA to decide whether a claimant is disabled under the law. It is applied at steps four and five of the sequential evaluation process.
At step four, the SSA compares the claimant’s RFC to the physical and mental demands of their Past Relevant Work (PRW)—jobs performed in the last 15 years. If the RFC shows the claimant can still perform the duties of their PRW, either as they performed it or as it is generally performed in the national economy, the claim is denied.
If the RFC prevents a return to PRW, the evaluation moves to step five, where the SSA considers whether the claimant can perform Any Other Work existing in the national economy. At this stage, the RFC is translated into a work classification, such as Sedentary, Light, or Medium, based on the maximum exertional capacity. For example, a Sedentary RFC typically means the ability to lift a maximum of 10 pounds and stand or walk for no more than two hours in an eight-hour workday.
The SSA then uses the RFC, along with vocational factors—age, education, and prior work experience—to determine if the claimant can adjust to any other job. If the combined effect of the RFC and these vocational factors shows the individual cannot perform any work that exists in significant numbers in the national economy, the claimant is found to be disabled.