MORE ABOUT THE "OTHER WORK" REQUIREMENT
Assuming you meet all the other requirements, Social Security will move to the final 2 steps in deciding whether you are disabled. I will explain these steps, especially Step 5, which deals with the "other work" issue.
At Step 4, Social Security must decide "Can the claimant perform any of his/her past relevant work" or PRW? This is work you have performed at a full-time level during the past 15 years.
For example, if you have worked as a house cleaner, assembly line worker and cashier during that period, the question is, can you now perform either of those jobs? If not, you pass the Step 4 test and move to Step 5, the final step.
At Step 5, the question is much broader. "Can the claimant perform any other work that exists in significant numbers in the national, regional or local economy.? If so, Social Security is find you are "not disabled."
It doesn't matter that the "other work" pays much less than the work you are accustomed to. It doesn't matter that your past work required a college degree and the other work does not. Nor does it matter if the "other work" is located in Utah or California and you live in Georgia. As strange as it seems, it also does not matter that you cannot find "other work." The mere fact that other work exists that you could perform (if you could find it) is enough to get you denied.
Here are some of the jobs I have seen used to demonstrate that "other work" exists in the national or state economy: egg washer, egg breaker, ticket seller, kitchen helper, parking garage attendant, surveillance system monitor, garment tagger, bench assembly.....on and on.
"Wait a minute," you say. "I am a certified teacher with a master's degree. You want me to be an egg washer?" Egg washer, along with most of those other jobs mentioned, pays minimum wage, by the way. But if you are judged able to perform one of those "other jobs," like an egg washer or potatoe peeler, you will be denied Social Security disability.
So what chance do you have? My recommendation is, retain a Social Security advocate or representative how knows how to build a good case, present a good case, and challenge the vocational expert when she testifies about these other jobs. That's the only way.
Walking into a Social Security appeal hearing alone is like walking into the lion's play area down at the local zoo. They will have you for lunch and they are just doing what they do everyday because it's the nature of the beast. If you have to walk into that lion's den, at least take a lion trainer with you! Get some help from someone who is experienced and knows the regulations and the process. Don't be lion bait.
At Step 4, Social Security must decide "Can the claimant perform any of his/her past relevant work" or PRW? This is work you have performed at a full-time level during the past 15 years.
For example, if you have worked as a house cleaner, assembly line worker and cashier during that period, the question is, can you now perform either of those jobs? If not, you pass the Step 4 test and move to Step 5, the final step.
At Step 5, the question is much broader. "Can the claimant perform any other work that exists in significant numbers in the national, regional or local economy.? If so, Social Security is find you are "not disabled."
It doesn't matter that the "other work" pays much less than the work you are accustomed to. It doesn't matter that your past work required a college degree and the other work does not. Nor does it matter if the "other work" is located in Utah or California and you live in Georgia. As strange as it seems, it also does not matter that you cannot find "other work." The mere fact that other work exists that you could perform (if you could find it) is enough to get you denied.
Here are some of the jobs I have seen used to demonstrate that "other work" exists in the national or state economy: egg washer, egg breaker, ticket seller, kitchen helper, parking garage attendant, surveillance system monitor, garment tagger, bench assembly.....on and on.
"Wait a minute," you say. "I am a certified teacher with a master's degree. You want me to be an egg washer?" Egg washer, along with most of those other jobs mentioned, pays minimum wage, by the way. But if you are judged able to perform one of those "other jobs," like an egg washer or potatoe peeler, you will be denied Social Security disability.
So what chance do you have? My recommendation is, retain a Social Security advocate or representative how knows how to build a good case, present a good case, and challenge the vocational expert when she testifies about these other jobs. That's the only way.
Walking into a Social Security appeal hearing alone is like walking into the lion's play area down at the local zoo. They will have you for lunch and they are just doing what they do everyday because it's the nature of the beast. If you have to walk into that lion's den, at least take a lion trainer with you! Get some help from someone who is experienced and knows the regulations and the process. Don't be lion bait.
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