What are the grid rules for social security disability

When we are preparing for and analyzing the particulars of any given case in which a Grid Rule might apply, we analyze these rules not based on your would-be exertional capability that we described previously, but on your age. This is because the Grids don’t really start to have meat on the bones until you attain age 55.

Let’s start by analyzing the Grid Rules for younger individuals.

Younger Individual (18-49)

A younger individual is an American who is age 49 or younger at either their Date of Disability (DOD or onset) or on the date that SSA makes the medical analysis. In other words, if your case is at the Initial or Reconsideration level and the DDS examiners have all the medical records and evidence in their possession, they are now in a position to make the medical analysis.

For applicants who are a younger individual, the Grids are no friend or ally. For example, if the Agency evaluators believe you have the capacity for Medium Work, there’s not a single Grid Rule that will allow for a finding of Disabled. If you have a limited education, and an unskilled work history, the Grid Rules within a Medium work capacity direct a finding of Not Disabled. Below is the chart for younger individuals who are capable of Medium Work as far as Agency evaluators are concerned:

As you can see, not a single Grid rule directs a finding of Disabled. As a younger individual, you don’t fare any better if these same evaluators make a finding that you’re capable of Light Work. Even if you’re illiterate, and your past work has been unskilled or you have no past work, the Grids direct a finding of Not Disabled. See below:

While Oz never did give anything to the Tin Man that he didn’t, didn’t already have, the same goes for him giving you a Grid Rule to apply if you’re a younger individual. Similarly, if you were thinking there was a Social Security Grid God, you’d be wrong there too. Why? Because the only Grid Rule for a younger individual that directs a finding of Disabled is one who is illiterate and has unskilled past work.

Of course, if you were illiterate, you wouldn’t be able to read any content on this website, let alone the rule below. What we at the Social Security Law Group find very intriguing is that based on the highlighted Grid Rule below, the Agency must be of the opinion that one can be illiterate and have a semi-skilled past work history. Is that even possible? If it is…God Bless America!

Closely Approaching Advanced Age (50-54)

We don’t want to make you feel old, but when you’ve hit the big 5-0, The Agency considers you Approaching Advanced Age. As we stated earlier, these Regulations were written in the 1970s when the SSA Retirement age was 65, and the American life expectancy wasn’t as robust as it is today.

For applicant’s who are APPROACHING ADVANCED AGE, there is some relief and applicability to the Grids, but not just yet. As you’ll see in our further analysis, it depends on your past work history.

Once again, let’s start with a Medium Work capacity. If the Agency evaluators believe you have the capacity for Medium Work, there’s not a single Grid Rule that will allow for a finding of Disabled, even if you have a limited education, and an unskilled work history.

While there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel (pun intended), it doesn’t help us much because like the Younger Individual, the individual APPROACHING ADVANCED AGE must also be illiterate in order to qualify under a Grid Rule.

When we reach the Sedentary capacity, here is where there appears to be some breakthrough. For example, if Agency evaluators believe you have the capacity for a Sedentary (seated) job, then you will be found Disabled under a Grid Rule if your past work is unskilled.

In addition, and under a different Grid Rule at this age group, if you had a skilled job or a semiskilled job and the skills that you gained in that job are not transferable to other work, a Grid Rule will also direct a finding of Disabled

As we stated in another section of this website, a Commercial Airline Pilot is a classic example. The occupation of Commercial Airline Pilot is considered a skilled occupation and is performed at the Light Exertional level. By contrast, an Attorney is also considered a skilled occupation, but performed at the Sedentary level. The difference between the two jobs is that the Pilot has no other transferable skills other than to another Pilot job, whereas the Attorney has plenty of transferable skills to other types of Sedentary work. If you keep reading the grid, you’ll see that if your past work is skilled or semiskilled and some of those skills gained are transferable, then a finding of Not Disabled is directed.

This is where the SSA Work History Report plays a critical role. The Agency will evaluate your job as listed in the Directory of Occupational titles, as well as how you actually performed it. The execution of your job may be slightly different than as described in the DOT. If you receive an SSA Work History Report, and you’re age 50+, this is where we will be in direct consult with you to ensure that you list those jobs accurately, and appropriately. If you weren’t a Supervisor, nor had any real transferable skills, don’t indicate that you did, because it may actually be detrimental to your case.

Advanced Age (55-59)

When you’ve reached the age of 55, the Agency considers you to have attained Advanced Age. The Grid Rules are much more applicable to applicant’s who’ve reached Advanced Age.

Once again, at Medium Work capacity, forget about the Grid Rules. It is nearly impossible to be approved for Social Security Disability if the evaluators believe you can perform Medium Work. Even if you’re 59, unless you have no past work, then you’re not going to be approved for SSDI, plain and simple.

At the Light Work capacity, we see once again, that unless your skills are considered non-transferrable, you can’t be found Disabled under a Grid Rule. There are plenty of Americans who’ve succeeded in their careers with a limited education. But even these people must have succeeded in jobs in which the skills they garnered are not transferrable to other work.

We discussed the Pilot and the Attorney, now let’s take a look at another such example as it may clarify the point: Route Truck Driver. DOT Code: 292.353-010

We’ve highlighted the exertional demands in red. The potential transferable skills in green.

Drives truck or automobile over established route to deliver and sell products or render services, collects money from customers, and makes change: Drives truck to deliver such items as beer, soft drinks, bakery products, dry cleaning, laundry, specialty foods, and medical supplies to customer’s home or place of business. Collects money from customers, makes change, and records transactions on customer receipt. Writes customer order and instructions. Records sales or deliveries information on daily sales or delivery record. Calls on prospective customers to solicit new business. Prepares order forms and sales contracts. Informs regular customers of new products or services. Listens to and resolves service complaints. May place stock on shelves or racks. May set up merchandise and sales promotion displays or issue sales promotion materials to customers. May collect or pick-up empty containers or rejected or unsold merchandise. May load truck. May issue or obtain customer signature on receipt for pickup or delivery. May clean inside of truck. May perform routine maintenance on truck. May direct DRIVER HELPER, SALES ROUTE (retail trade; wholesale tr.) 292.667-010 to load and unload truck and carry merchandise. May be designated according to product delivered or service rendered.

If you notice, the job description lists tasks such as collects money and records transactions and writes customer orders etc. This is where it’s important to understand that in many cases, these companies issue the worker an electronic tablet of some other kind of gadget, and all of the skill has been removed from the job and the driver simply makes the entries on the tablet. It is the tablet, and not the worker, that performs all the skill. This is why we state that the SSA Work History Report is critical in this analysis.

At the Sedentary exertional level, the Grid Rules mimic those at the Light level. Once again, if your past work history is considered unskilled then it’s likely you’ll be found disabled based on a Grid Rule. If it’s skilled or semiskilled however, we will only be able to argue a Grid Rule if we can demonstrate that those skills that you gained in those jobs are not transferable.

Most importantly, if you’re an Applicant of Advanced Age, not only must your skills be transferable, there is a major additional consideration. Under the Regulations, an individual will be found to have transferable skills to other work only if the Sedentary work is so similar to the individual’s previous work that he or she would need to make very little, if any, vocational adjustment in terms of tools, work processes, work settings, or the industry.

This is why it’s critical that the skilled Attorneys of SOCIAL SECURITY LAW GROUP® marshal you through his SSDI process.

Approaching Retirement Age (60-67)

When you’ve reached the age of 60, you are pretty much on your way to Retirement and transferability of skill is the rule, not the exception. While the normal retirement age was 65, for many Americans reading this, your Retirement age has been adjusted based on your year of birth. In some cases, it can be as late as age 67. As is the case with all the Grid Rules at all the age categories, a Medium Exertional capacity does you in.

Absent a finding that you can perform Medium Work, the Grid Rules are especially friendly to individuals Approaching Retirement Age because essentially if they cannot perform Medium work, then the jobs that will render a finding of Not Disabled must be limited to past work in the LIGHT Exertional category with skills that are transferable to skilled or semiskilled work only if the Light work is so similar to the individual’s previous work that he or she would need to make very little, if any vocational adjustment in terms of tools, work processes, work settings, or the industry.

The Grid Rules in a SSA Decision

If you filed an Initial Claim for Social Security Disability benefits that was denied, the rationale usually found on page 2 will indicate whether or not The Agency applied a Grid Rule. You won’t find the detailed analysis in a Reconsideration denial, only an Initial Denial. So if your initial decision from Social Security denying your claim has language that reads something like this…:

“We realize that your condition keeps you from doing any of your past jobs, but it does not keep you from doing less demanding work. Based on your age, education, and past work experience, you can do other work. It has been decided, therefore, that you are not disable according to the Social Security Act”

This is sure fire boilerplate language that they have denied your case based on one of the Grid Rules.

We hope you found this section of our website informative, and substantive. If we haven’t convinced you yet, please give us a call and tell us what we’re doing wrong. In closing, once again, don’t try this on your own. Get professional help.

Call SOCIAL SECURITY LAW GROUP now.

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