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Social
Security Disability Guide:
Vocational
Evidence/The Grids
The last step of the sequential evaluation
process requires a consideration of the ability to work if a claimant
cannot return to his/her prior employment. The ALJ must consider
vocational evidence on this issue.
The Social Security Administration has adopted a set of
regulations, known as the "grids" to help make these determinations.
The grids apply age, education, work history and physical ability to
work and automatically reach a conclusion on whether the claimant could
work. [You can find more information about the grids on the Social
Security Administration's Web Site].
If the ALJ determines that a claim fits within the
grids, the ALJ will just look at the grids and reach the result they
compel. No further evidence is required.
However, if the claimant does not fit within the grids,
the Administrative Law Judge may also have a "vocational consultant"
present to testify as to what work, if any, the claimant might be capable of
doing.
The vocational expert's role is to clarify issues
concerning the claimant's work experience. This expert is asked by the
judge to classify the claimant's past job(s) in terms of skill and
exertional level. Skill level may range from unskilled to semi- skilled
to skilled. Exertional levels include sedentary, light, medium, and
heavy.
The vocational expert is also asked whether the claimant
has obtained job skills in his previous work experience that are
transferrable to other jobs. Frequently, an Administrative Law Judge
will ask the vocational expert a hypothetical question. Careful
attention should be paid to this question to insure that it correctly
states the facts in the claimant's case. The vocational expert should
be asked "Assuming the disabilities and restriction testified to by the
claimant at the hearing are true, are there jobs available that the
claimant is capable of doing?"
Other information:
JaffyLaw.com:
Other Web Sites:
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Security Disability Guide
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