Disability Lawyer in The Woodlands: What Is “Past Relevant Work”?

One of the phrases you’ll hear a lot during your disability claims process is “past relevant work;” if you’re not sure what that means, our Social Security disability attorney in The Woodlands can explain it in detail. Past relevant work is defined as gainful activity (meaning you can make money at it) that you performed in the past fifteen years, and continued for a long enough time that you mastered it.

To determine the past relevant work that can apply to your claim, you’re going to be asked a lot of questions. Not only will you need to provide information about the jobs themselves, but the level of skill, exertion, stress, and activity needed to do each of these jobs. So, for all work you’ve had for the past fifteen years, you’ll be asked questions in several categories for each job you held.

1. JUST THE FACTS

• Employer’s name
• Dates employed
• Job title and duties
• Hours worked
• Duration of employment and was this long enough to learn the job to average performance
• Earnings (this can help determine skill level)
• Reason for leaving
• Did your disability affect your job through missed work, poor performance, change of duties or hours?

2. HOW MUCH PHYSICAL EXERTION DID IT REQUIRE?

• What were the heaviest objects you carried at the job, what were they, how often were they carried, and how far did you carry them?
• What was the average weight of objects you carried, what were they, how often were they carried, and how far did you carry them?
• In a typical workday, how much time was spent sitting vs. standing or walking, and did you have a choice in when you sat or stood?
• Did the job require bending, crawling, or climbing?
• What motor skills were required?

3. HOW MUCH SKILL WAS REQUIRED?

• How long did it to take you to learn this job?
• Did you use special machines, tools, or equipment?
• What technical knowledge or skills were necessary to perform this job?
• Was writing a part of the job, e.g. competing reports?
• Was your personal judgment required and valued?
• Were you a supervisor? If yes, of how many people? Did you hire and fire and/or handle performance reviews?

4. DID THE JOB STRESS YOU OUT?

For some conditions, stress is contraindicated. If your past relevant work was stressful, you’ll be asked why. Your Woodlands disability attorney can help you explain the reasons for your stress. Some reasons may include:

• Speed
• Complexity
• Having to work on a schedule and/or meet deadlines
• Working with others—co-workers, supervisors, or even strangers
• Decision-making
• Being criticized
• Precision
• Monotony
• Long work hours

5. DESCRIBE THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

And they don’t mean the morale, but very specifically the physical conditions at work. Was your job affected by:

• Wetness
• Humidity
• Noise
• Vibrations
• Fumes or odors
• Dusts
• Hazards such as machinery or heights
• Extreme temperature

Once all this information has been gathered, it will be up to and your doctor to prove that you can no longer perform each of the jobs in question, which can be a difficult burden. If you’d like help, call our Social Security Disability attorney in The Woodlands, Dana Speer at 713-857-2123

Dana Speer

713-857-2123 Direct Line
877-373-5105 Direct Fax