How does vocational evidence affect an LTD claim?

Vocational evidence becomes central to an LTD dispute at the 24-month own-to-any-occupation transition. At that point, the insurer will often commission a vocational review — sometimes a paper review by a certified rehabilitation counselor, sometimes a full vocational assessment — to identify occupations you can allegedly perform based on your residual functional capacity.

The insurer’s vocational consultant will typically reference the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) or O*NET to describe sedentary or light-duty jobs. Common examples used against white-collar claimants: administrative coordinator, data entry supervisor, phone customer service representative. The analysis rarely accounts for cognitive demands, the need for sustained concentration, or the actual labor market for these roles given the claimant’s age, location, and professional background.

Your rebuttal begins with a thorough functional capacity evaluation (FCE) that documents your actual physical and cognitive limitations. Paired with a treating physician’s statement and a counter-vocational assessment from an independent rehabilitation counselor, this evidence can demonstrate that no realistic occupation in the national economy is accessible given your specific profile.

Under Glenn, a court may consider the insurer’s structural conflict of interest when weighing competing vocational opinions. The administrative record is built during the 180-day appeal window under 29 CFR 2560.503-1 — after that, new evidence is generally excluded. We handle ERISA LTD cases on contingency. No fee unless we win.