Social Security considers your Past Relevant Work (PRW) at step 4 of the sequential evaluation process. It is important to properly define your past relevant work, because it can only hurt you in a Social Security disability claim. If Social Security determines that you have the capacity to return to your PRW, your disability claim will
Welcome! This site is written for Social Security disability claimants, for their legal representatives, and for the network of people involved in the Social Security disability claim process. I hope you find it helpful.
Step 4
Combination of Impairments
By Gordon Gates on
Social Security must consider the combination of your impairments when considering your eligibility for benefits. Even non-severe impairments must be considered in combination with your severe impairments. See 20 C.F.R. 404.1523.
This can be very important. Sometimes a seemingly minor impairment can rule out your past relevant work, and move your claim past step…
Past Relevant Work
By Gordon Gates on
As discussed in the previous post, step 4 of Social Security’s sequential evaluation process is a determination of your ability to retun to your past relevant work. Your "past relevant work" is work you have performed in the past 15 years at the SGA level.
All Social Security does at this step is compare your…