This is a step-by-step introductory course that explains how to become an EDPNA Social Security disability representative. You’ll learn SSA requirements, direct payment and fee rules, and what representatives do at each stage of a claim—from initial filing through ALJ hearings and Appeals Council review—so you finish with a clear roadmap to get approved and start representing claimants.
This is a foundational course focused on the regulations and policy rules that control how Social Security disability claims are evaluated and decided. Designed for aspiring and developing non-attorney representatives, this course explains what the SSA requires at each stage of a claim and how to apply the rules to real case scenarios.
This course trains you to understand how Social Security connects medical evidence to a claimant’s ability to work—the core of winning disability cases. In addition, this course breaks down how functional limitations are evaluated, how Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) is developed, and how vocational factors like age, education, and past work affect disability decisions.
This course prepares you to represent Social Security disability claimants responsibly by teaching the ethical standards and legal rules that apply to non-attorney representatives. Focus is upon compliance, professionalism, and risk prevention—so you understand what the SSA expects and how to avoid common issues that can harm a client’s case or your ability to practice.