A person’s mental health is often the basis of a disability claim. That person’s past relevant work (PRW) is often precluded by their mental health symptoms at Step 4 of the Social Security’s sequential evaluation. Frequently assessed functional limitations due to mental health symptoms, such as a limitations to “simple tasks” or “no interaction with the general public” are enough to eliminate that person’s ability to perform their PRW.

However, those limitations do not help much when considering the person’s ability to perform other work at Step 5 of the sequential evaluation. Limitations to “simple tasks” or “no interaction with the general public” do not prevent application of the Medical-Vocational guidelines at Step 5. A person with those mental health limitations alone will not be found disabled at Step 5 in the absence of physical impairments.

That is why I always explore physical issues in mental health claims, even when the client says that the reason they can’t work is their mental health. Their physical limitations can have an oversized effect in proving that they can’t perform other work at Step 5, due the the Medical-Vocational Guidelines, which use physical limitations and age as the primary vocational factors.

For those over the age of 55, that means a limitations to Light exertional work will direct a finding of “disabled.” The limitation to “simple tasks” due to mental health symptoms plays a role here as well, because a limitations to simple tasks precludes the transfer of acquired job skills. That combination of impairments is a winning combination for those over 55.