What is the 12 month rule?

The social security administration has the requirement that all impairments must last at least 12 months, or be expected to, or result in the claimants death. What this means in practice, is that if someone has an accident and breaks their leg, the Social Security Administration will not consider this an impairment for disability until it has lasted at least 12 months. This is due to the fact that most fractures heal and do not leave lasting impairment. Obviously this can differ from person to person, and many people do have lasting impairment that keeps them from working, which is why the Social Security Administration has this durational requirement.