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?"