Past Relevant Work and its Effect on Disability Determination

Understanding past relevant work when trying to figure out your Social Security disability determination is key to getting the full picture. You will need to look through your work history and compare it with your current situation to figure out what disability determination you may be looking at. Our SSDI lawyers know how to improve your application so you have the best possible chance at approval.

What is Past Relevant Work?

“Past relevant work” is work you have done in the past five years (recently changed from fifteen) that lasted long enough for you to understand how to do it, and that can be considered substantial gainful activity. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses past relevant work to help determine whether you are considered disabled according to their five-step sequential evaluation process. Within the five-step process, past relevant work is Step Four, where the SSA determines your ability to perform work-related activities despite your impairments.

In addition, the SSA analyzes past relevant work combined with residual functional capacity, age, and education level. These factors are used to decide whether the applicant could perform any work in the current economy.

What Does This Look Like in Practice?

Let’s look at an example. Steve is 54 years old, and became disabled while working for a heavy physical exertion job such as a construction worker. He has held this job for the past 11 years. Before joining this construction company, he worked primarily at a computer in an office space, a sedentary position that does not require much physical movement. He has not worked at this job in over 11 years, but under the 15-year rule, if the SSA determined that Steve was able to do sedentary work, he may not be approved for benefits.

Due to the rule change from a fifteen-year period to a five-year lookback period, the SSA would now be unable to consider his old computer job when determining what kind of work he could do. With this, the SSA can only consider Steve’s work from the past five years which has all been at the construction company. The SSA will then have to determine if Steve has any skills that can transfer to other forms of work based on his five-year work history.

How Does Past Relevant Work Make an Impact?

In addition to all new claims, this new rule also applies to those that are still awaiting a final decision. There are four main impacts this may cause:

• More important work history reports: With a shortened required lookback period for past relevant work, reports will most likely be more detailed and accurate, which will lead to less delay from SSA personnel.
• Better records of diminishing relevance of work skills: Work skills and job requirements are becoming outdated more quickly than they were previously.
• Reduced processing time and improved customer service: SSA can make quicker decisions based on more accurate information, therefore improving customer service.
• Reduced burden on the claimant: The time shift from fifteen to five years lessens the amount of information that is required to submit.

With these four shifts in the process, it is important to keep detailed records of your past relevant work history to streamline the process and to avoid delays. When going through the SSDI application process, ensure that you provide as much information as possible regarding your situation.

Talk to Our Skilled Attorneys About Past Relevant Work and its Effect on Disability Determination

Even with the SSA reducing the time required for past relevant work, it is still helpful to have a Social Security Disability Attorney to guide you through the process. Do not hesitate to reach out to us to get you the benefits you deserve. Make the call today to schedule your free consultation.