NO CHARGE
FOR CONSULTATION
(918) 587-0050

The Tulsa SSI attorneys of Troutman & Troutman, P.C.

Step 4 in Determining Tulsa Social Security Disability Eligibility

Could you perform your past relevant work?

At this step of the sequential evaluation in determining Oklahoma social security disability, the Social Security Administration must determine whether your impairments prevent you from performing your past relevant work. It is important for you to recognize that it doesn't matter if your past job no longer exists. If you had a job with a business that went bankrupt, it doesn't matter. The question is whether you could perform your past job if you were given the opportunity to do so. If you can perform any of your past relevant work, you are not disabled.

"Past relevant work" is work that you performed at a level that was substantial gainful activity ("SGA"). For a description of SGA, see step one of the sequential evaluation. Past relevant work generally includes only work that you performed within the past 15 years. However, that period would start 15 years before you alleged you became disabled. If you are alleging that you became disabled several years ago, this may affect what jobs are considered as past relevant work.

In order to determine whether you can perform your past relevant work, the Social Security Administration must determine the actual requirements of your past jobs, and then a function-by-function comparison must be made with your present impairments. If the determination is made that you cannot do your past work as you actually performed it, the adjudicator must then determine if you could do that job as it is generally performed in the work force. This may be significant if the job you actually performed had different requirements than similar jobs in other companies. For example, if your past work was as a secretary, but you were occasionally required to lift heavy boxes (weighing 50 pounds), you might not be able to perform that job. However, you might be able to perform the job of secretary as it is generally performed, because most secretarial jobs do not require a person to lift 50 pounds.

A Tulsa SSI attorney can help you determine what past jobs are relevant and whether you can perform them at the required levels. If you have questions about Tulsa Oklahoma SSI or social security eligibility, please contact us to set up a free consultation.