Section 49 Step 4-Past Relevant Work

• Library: Social Security Administration Practice and Procedure (2011 Ed.)

Step 4 poses the following question:

Do the claimant's medically determinable impairments prevent the performance of PRW?

PRW has three elements:

Recency- generally refers to work performed within 15 years

Duration-refers to whether the claimant performed the work long enough to learn how to perform the work

Earnings-refers to whether the work was done at SGA levels

The 15-year recency element is calculated from the date of adjudication. The exception is that the 15-year period ends with the date by which disability must be established if that date is before the adjudication date, such as:

· an expired date last insured (known as DLI);

· the end of the prescribed period (known as DWB);

· the attainment of age 22 years (known as CDB); or

· the end of a prior re-entitlement period.

There is no standard time period that must be met to satisfy the duration element. Rather, the regulations provide that...