One of the most misunderstood parts of a Social Security disability case is something called Past Relevant Work, often shortened to PRW. Most people have never heard the term until they receive a denial letter or sit in front of an Administrative Law Judge.

The idea sounds simple enough. Social Security wants to know whether you can still perform work you have done in the past. But what counts as “past work” is much more complicated than most people realize. Many disability claims are denied because Social Security decides that the claimant can still perform a previous job—even when the claimant believes that job is impossible. Understanding how Past Relevant Work is evaluated can make a tremendous difference in your disability claim.

What Is Past Relevant Work?

Past Relevant Work is not simply every job you have ever held. Generally speaking, Social Security considers a job to be Past Relevant Work if it:

• Was performed within the last five years before your disability claim is evaluated.
• Lasted long enough for you to learn how to perform it.
• Was performed at the level of substantial gainful activity (SGA), meaning you earned enough for Social Security to consider it real competitive employment.

If a job does not meet all of these requirements, it may not qualify as Past Relevant Work. This distinction can be extremely important because jobs that are not Past Relevant Work generally cannot be used to deny your disability claim at Step Four of Social Security’s evaluation process.

Why Does Social Security Look at Past Relevant Work?

Social Security uses a five-step process to decide disability claims. At Step Four, the question is straightforward: Can you still perform any of your Past Relevant Work despite your medical conditions? If the answer is yes, your claim will usually be denied.

If the answer is no, your case moves to Step Five, where Social Security must determine whether there are any other jobs in the national economy that you could perform. Getting beyond Step Four is often one of the biggest hurdles in a disability case.

It’s Not Just the Job Title

One of the biggest surprises for many claimants is that Social Security does not simply look at your job title. For example, two people may both have worked as “office managers,” yet one spent the day answering phones while the other regularly lifted heavy boxes, stocked inventory, and supervised employees. The actual duties performed are what matter.

This is why your Work History Report is so important. Social Security wants detailed information about:

• How much you lifted.
• How long you stood or walked.
• Whether you sat most of the day.
• How much bending, stooping, climbing, reaching, or carrying was required.
• Whether you supervised other workers.
• The skills you learned.

Small details often make a significant difference.

What About Jobs You Could Never Perform Again?

Many people assume that because they once performed a physically demanding job, Social Security automatically understands they cannot return to it after becoming disabled. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

Suppose you spent twenty years working in construction. You now have severe back problems, multiple surgeries, chronic pain, and lifting restrictions. Your medical records may clearly show you cannot perform heavy labor anymore. If the evidence supports those limitations, Social Security may agree that you cannot return to construction work.

However, the analysis does not stop there. The agency must also determine whether your previous work, as generally performed in the national economy, required the same level of physical activity that you actually performed. That distinction can sometimes become the focus of an appeal or hearing.

What If Your Job Was Different Than the Typical Job?

Many employers require workers to perform several different jobs at once. For example, someone hired as a cashier may also unload trucks, clean the store, stock shelves, prepare deposits, and supervise employees. These are often called composite jobs because they combine duties from more than one occupation.

Composite jobs can be especially important because Social Security should evaluate the job as it was actually performed rather than trying to compare only one portion of the work to a standard job description. This is one reason why a detailed work history can be critical.

Can Old Jobs Count?

Generally, jobs performed more than five years before your disability determination are not considered Past Relevant Work. The reasoning is practical. Work requirements change. Technology changes. Industries evolve. Skills become outdated. A job you performed many years ago may no longer reflect your current vocational abilities. That is why Social Security usually focuses on more recent employment.

Why Accurate Work History Matters

Many disability cases are won or lost because of how a claimant describes prior work. People often underestimate how physically demanding their jobs really were. Others forget important duties that significantly increase the exertional level of the work.

For example, someone may simply write: “I worked in a grocery store.” That tells Social Security almost nothing. A much more accurate description might explain that the employee:

• Lifted boxes weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Stood eight hours a day.
• Stocked shelves.
• Climbed ladders.
• Operated heavy carts.
• Assisted customers with loading purchases.

Those details paint a very different picture.

The Role of Vocational Experts

At many disability hearings, the Administrative Law Judge calls a Vocational Expert. The Vocational Expert reviews your work history, classifies your previous jobs, and offers opinions about whether someone with your medical limitations could still perform those jobs.

Sometimes the classification is straightforward. Other times it becomes one of the most important issues in the entire hearing. An incorrect job classification can affect the outcome of a disability claim. That is why careful preparation before the hearing is so important.

Every Case Is Different

No two disability cases are exactly alike. The same medical condition may prevent one person from returning to previous work while allowing another person to continue working. Age, education, work experience, transferable skills, and medical limitations all play important roles.

The goal is not simply proving that you cannot do your old job. The goal is proving, under Social Security’s rules, that your medical impairments prevent you from performing your Past Relevant Work—and, if necessary, any other substantial work that exists in significant numbers.

We Can Help

Understanding Past Relevant Work is one of the keys to a successful Social Security disability claim. A mistake in describing your work history or an incorrect classification of your previous job can lead to an unnecessary denial.

For more than fifty years, we have helped disability claimants throughout Louisiana navigate the Social Security system. We understand how vocational evidence, medical records, and Social Security regulations fit together, and we work to present every case as accurately and completely as possible.

If you have questions about your disability claim or have been denied benefits, contact our office. We will review your case, explain your options, and help you determine the best path forward.

Many people believe that if Social Security knows their job title, then it knows what they did for a living. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. In almost every Social Security disability case, one of the most important questions is how your previous work is classified. The answer can determine whether your claim is approved or denied.

You may think, “I was a cashier,” or “I worked construction,” or “I was an office manager.” But Social Security looks beyond job titles. Instead, it examines the actual duties you performed and compares them to occupations listed in its vocational rules. Understanding how your past jobs are classified can help you avoid one of the most common reasons disability claims are denied.

Why Does Job Classification Matter?

After Social Security determines that your medical condition is severe, it must decide whether you can still perform your Past Relevant Work. To answer that question, the agency first has to determine exactly what your previous jobs were. That sounds easy enough, but it often becomes one of the most disputed issues in a disability case.

If Social Security classifies your job as lighter or less demanding than it really was, it may conclude that you are still capable of doing that work. That can result in a denial, even when your medical records clearly show significant limitations.

Job Titles Can Be Misleading

The same job title can describe very different jobs. For example, two people may both have been called “office managers.” One may have worked at a desk answering phones, scheduling appointments, and preparing paperwork. The other may have unloaded deliveries, carried office supplies, supervised employees, climbed ladders to retrieve inventory, and spent much of the day on his or her feet.

Although both employees shared the same title, the physical demands of their jobs were entirely different. That is why Social Security wants to know exactly what you actually did—not merely what your employer called your position.

Social Security Looks at Your Actual Duties

When reviewing your work history, Social Security considers questions such as:

• How much weight did you regularly lift?
• Did you spend most of the day sitting, standing, or walking?
• Did you climb ladders or stairs?
• Did you bend, stoop, kneel, or crawl?
• Did you operate machinery?
• Did you supervise other workers?
• Did you use specialized skills or technical knowledge?

Every one of these details can affect how your job is classified. The more accurate your work history is, the better Social Security can understand what your job actually required.

The Physical Demands of Work

Social Security generally places jobs into physical categories. These include:

• Sedentary work
• Light work
• Medium work
• Heavy work
• Very heavy work

A warehouse employee who regularly lifted fifty-pound boxes may be classified much differently than an office clerk who primarily worked at a computer. If your medical condition now limits you to sedentary work, but your previous employment required medium or heavy work, that difference can become a major factor in your disability claim.

Skilled, Semi-Skilled, and Unskilled Work

Physical demands are only part of the picture. Social Security also evaluates how much skill your previous job required. Generally, jobs fall into three broad categories:

• Unskilled work involves simple duties that can usually be learned quickly.
• Semi-skilled work requires some training or experience.
• Skilled work involves specialized knowledge, technical training, judgment, or significant responsibility.

Why does this matter? Because some skills may transfer to other types of work. If Social Security believes your skills can easily transfer to another job within your medical limitations, your claim may become more difficult to prove.

On the other hand, many claimants have skills that are not readily transferable, particularly when they have spent years performing physically demanding work.

Composite Jobs

Some jobs simply do not fit neatly into one category. Many small businesses expect employees to wear several hats. For example, a person hired as a convenience store clerk may also:

• Stock shelves.
• Receive deliveries.
• Lift heavy merchandise.
• Prepare bank deposits.
• Clean the store.
• Supervise employees.

These are often called composite jobs because they combine duties from several occupations. Composite jobs are important because Social Security should evaluate the entire job as it was actually performed rather than focusing on only one portion of the work. Failing to recognize a composite job can sometimes lead to an incorrect decision.

The Importance of Your Work History Report

One of the most important forms you complete during a disability claim is your Work History Report. Many people rush through it. That is a mistake. Short answers such as “worked retail” or “office work” do not provide enough information.

Instead, describe your daily activities in detail. Explain what you lifted. Describe how long you stood. Mention climbing, bending, carrying, reaching, or repetitive hand use. Discuss whether you supervised employees or operated equipment. The more complete your description, the easier it is for Social Security—and ultimately the Administrative Law Judge—to understand the true demands of your job.

The Vocational Expert’s Role

At many disability hearings, the Administrative Law Judge will ask a Vocational Expert to classify your previous jobs. The Vocational Expert reviews your testimony and work history and gives opinions about the physical demands and skill level of your past work. The judge often relies heavily on that testimony.

For that reason, it is important that your work history accurately reflects what you actually did every day—not simply what appeared on your business card or payroll records.

Good Preparation Can Make a Difference

Many disability claims turn on vocational issues rather than medical issues. Your medical records may clearly establish serious limitations, but your case can still be denied if your past work is classified incorrectly. Careful preparation before a hearing often identifies important details that otherwise might be overlooked.

A thorough review of your work history can help ensure that your previous jobs are accurately described and properly evaluated under Social Security’s rules.

We Can Help

Properly classifying your past work is one of the most important parts of a Social Security disability case. A single mistake about what your job required can affect the entire outcome of your claim. For more than fifty years, we have represented disability claimants throughout Louisiana. We know how Social Security evaluates past work, vocational evidence, and medical limitations, and we work to make sure every claimant’s work history is presented accurately and completely.

If you have questions about your disability claim or have received a denial, contact our office. We will review your work history, explain your legal options, and help you pursue the benefits you deserve.