Legal Definitions - initial determination

Definition: The first decision made by the Social SecurityAdministration to determine a person's eligibility for benefits.

Example: John applied for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. The initial determination was that he was not eligible for benefits because he could still perform some work.

This example illustrates how the Social Security Administration makes an initial determination about a person's eligibility for benefits. This decision is not final and can be appealed if the person disagrees with the determination.