In view of the seismic rule change reducing the past relevant work period to 5 years, and new Ruling 24-2p, it is a good time to review the various issues involved with past relevant work (PRW).

At Step 4 of Social Security’s sequential evaluation, the SSA considers your ability to perform your past relevant work. This is a key step in the process, because if the SSA determines that you retain the residual functional capacity to return to your past relevant work, your disability claim will be denied.

Social Security will try to match, in a very abstract way, your current abilities to the requirements of your past work. The SSA looks at how each job was actually performed by you, and how those jobs are generally performed in the national economy. Social Security simply compares your abilities with the requirements of each of the previous jobs. It doesn’t matter if the past job doesn’t exist anymore.

Remember that not all past work is past relevant work. Under the new rule, the job must have lasted for at least 30 days. It must have been performed within the past 5 years. It must have been performed at the SGA level. (remember, even part-time work at SGA can be past relevant work).

You may have learned job skills at your previous work. If your acquired job skills can transfer to skilled or semi-skilled work that you are still able to do, it is problematic for your claim at step 5 of the sequential evaluation.

Eliminating your past relevant work is important for all claimants, but it is particularly important for Social Security disability disability claimants over the age of 55.