Step 4: Can the Claimant Perform Past Work?
Does the claimant, despite his or her impairments, still have the Residual Functional Capacity, or RFC, to perform his or her Past Relevant Work (PRW)? See below for sample assessment forms.
If the claimant can perform Past Relevant Work, he/she will be found not disabled. Even if the claimant cannot perform PRW, he/she is still subject to Step 5 of the Sequential Evaluation.
"Past relevant work" is work the claimant has done in the last 15 years. The job must have lasted at least three months to be considered part of the claimant's work history. If an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) finds that the claimant can return to the kind of work he/she has done in the past, the claimant will be found not disabled.
Judging Residual Functional Capacity
You may find it informative to review the following forms:
STEP 5
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