Changes To Past Relevant Work and Disability Determinations
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: July 15, 2024
In fiscal year 2023, more than 1.8 million people applied for disability benefits through Social Security’s two programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Until recently, Social Security required adult applicants to provide their work history going back 15 years. That’s because the inability to work is key to Social Security’s definition of disability.
In general, Social Security finds adult applicants to be disabled only if they have a severe medical condition that either prevents them from doing any substantial work for at least 1 year or is expected to result in death.
Based on this strict definition of disability for both SSDI and SSI, it’s not surprising that Social Security’s disability application focuses on a person’s illnesses and injuries, limitations, treatment, and work history.
But recalling the details of 15 years of employment – job titles, duties, dates, etc. – can be a major challenge. At the Urban Justice Center, our clients often struggle to provide accurate information from their past. To improve their work history narrative while their disability application is pending, we routinely help them to update and clarify information about their previous jobs.
Thankfully, Social Security recently published a new rule that reduces the period it considers when determining whether a person has past relevant work (PRW).
Effective June 22, Social Security began considering work going back 5 years, not 15. In addition, work is no longer relevant if the job lasted less than 30 calendar days.
You can read more about changes in the disability evaluation process in Social Security’s press release.
Decreasing the relevant work period from 15 to 5 years will make it easier for people to accurately report their work history. The reduction also makes sense given Social Security’s recent efforts to modernize the vocational policy that is used to make disability decisions. Research indicates that certain types of skills – namely, “manual” skills – can significantly deteriorate in 5 years.
The PRW changes will reduce the time it takes for applicants to fill out Social Security’s work history forms. This is a small step to simplifying the disability application process. Social Security also benefits by receiving better quality information earlier in the evaluation process.
Ultimately, millions of people applying for disability should see a reduction in processing times.
Our posting of this blog does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any non-Social Security organization, author, or webpages.
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: Disability, social security, SSI, supplemental security income
See CommentsAbout the Author
Comments
Leave a Comment
Please review our Comment Policy before leaving a comment. For your safety, please do not post Personally Identifiable Information (such as your Social Security Number, address, phone number, email address, bank account number, or birthdate) on our blog.
Barilynn B.
I really don’t understand how I have worked almost 35 years and because of the Union and have to reapply and reapply that I was unable to get my benefits because it was over the 10 years, but people that has never worked in their life gets money from Social Security it is so hard y’all make it so hard for everyone and I don’t understand why you can’t work to file for disability. Well you can’t afford to go to doctor because you don’t have no money and they deny you and then you gotta reapply and reapply. It’s really hard. Don’t need to reevaluate this system. Thank you.
Quacy M.
please and thank you but i would like to do lawsuit and sue to the hospital who made my condition worst and i need social secuity help to do it. the hospital or mental hospital im suing or lawsuit will be kings county mental hospital and brookdale hospital mental hospital i went to
Quacy M.
this might be a great idea
Quacy M.
tell everyone thanks they did it for me also many times. thanks again
Lia
So this will be a refile for my husband. I’m hoping against hope with ALL the medical evidence he has and all his disabilities and his age of almost pushing 52, that the SSA will do the right thing this time and say yes that he is in fact, disabled. The rule change should benefit him I am hoping as when he lost his case( go figure the judge was no good…gross miscarriage of justice) he can win this time because the judge said he isn’t able to do his past job. So if he cannot do the previous five years work, then he should be found disabled by SSAs own rules. Who knows anymore??!! We r too busy giving our money away to foreign wars to help our ppl first. I know for A FACT he IS disabled! He has horrible back problems, terrible depression / anxiety (been to a mental ward twice for attempted suicide) Carpel tunnel in both wrists, chronic migraines that leave him bed ridden for days, and sleeplessness. Yet you ppl at the SSA didn’t find him disabled! Shocking!
S.D.
We’re sorry to hear about your husband’s situation, Lia. We pay disability benefits to people who are unable to work because of a medical condition(s) that is expected to last at least one year or end in death. Your husband’s disability must prevent him from doing the work he did in the past. Beginning June 22, 2024, when determining past relevant work, we will review only 5 years of past work, not 15. If your husband can’t do the work he did in the past, we look to see if there is other work he could do despite his impairments. To learn about our process, visit How You Qualify. For more information about the changes to the Past Relevant Work period, read our earlier blog. We hope this helps.
Amanda J.
Don’t refile ever. Always appeal first.
Anthony
I think the Social security system is horrible to have to had worked in last 5 years to be eligible for SSI or SSDI is against God who is the ultimate decider.To think our country stands for In God we trust as their motto is total plashemy. What about those who have been sick their who lives? Those suffering from Mental Illnesses of all kinds not to mention physical illnesses. This is pathetic and the law needs to change They don’t care about the sick our country and I have no hope that they’ll ever change They can help other people in other countries but not their own? God help all of them because frankly they’re not of God and he is watching. Have mercy!! I personally have OCD and it ruined my life Social security cut me out of SSI in 2015 although I’ve been disabled for 30 years. Now I’m unable to even qualify for SSI or SSDI it’s sad and I really don’t care who is in the White House because all they think about are themselves.
Melissa G.
Wait, I just received a letter today asking for my work activity report. And it is asking me to go back to 2009. That’s not 5 years. And I get penalized every other year for back pay. So why am I paying all this back pay? I can’t even remember back to 2009. I’ve been on SSI since 2009. I’m trying to get my SSDI. This makes no sense.
Raquel
Hi Melissa G. I’m sorry for you and your husband’s troubles. I hope things work out. I don’t think the change has taken effect yet. I think they are considering it, if I’m reading the article correctly. I wish a moderator would chime in and confirm.
Pamela
I’m glad that SS is simplifying the work background intake when applying for SSDI but I wish 1) they had addressed those of us who worked for years and always kept 7 years of returns – as advised – in the event of an audit AND those of us who, despite very lucrative recruitments spent a great deal of time working to help save lives at much lower salaries due to our values, AND who had the 8 years of missing records averaged in as $0, lowering our benefits to less than medical expenses in many cases, leaving us while fighting to live to have to go back and forth between SS and IRS each of whom said the OTHER had the records, and each of whom said they didn’t. One party said they were destroyed after seven years – I would have laughed had I not been so incapacitated. NOTHING is “gone” – those records are accessible. There is no erasing which cannot be accessed is my understanding. It was a long grueling horrible addition to losing so very much already, and 2) Why people on SSDI whose benefits & income (when they are able to work) are below the level which qualifies one for SSI are not allowed to receive SSI to help them with medical expenses and simply living? I can’t even buy a cup of coffee once in EVER, let alone necessities.
I understand when it’s someone who is disabled but who has the means to live well, but…..
And now, due to not receiving my mail – which I addressed with the post office long ago and filled out forms for them and detailed the situation,(and made each of the Leasing Agents at the Housing Authority aware of the mail problem) am facing eviction court with no ability to hear p – roperly there, or see under the LED’s or think/reply properly due to excruciating pain, and horrible Vertigo from a blast injury and more ongoing and preceding in the vacinity – and which is, to my understanding in violation of zoning codes – and others rant and rave (pointless) then move out/pay for the whole year or perhaps just leave; and I’d been told by a property manager years ago that yes, they could relocate me – that it shouldn’t be a problem – and never heard back – even when I called when eardrums ruptured again with ever increasing horrible consequences and injuries, let alone irreplaceable property destroyed over and over and over, destruction and very dangerous circumstances. And I was dropped from subsidized housing unbeknownst to me (mail not received – those I did receive I immediately called about but it wasn’t about MY being evicted and dropped and I did the appropriate things). Now it’s inevitable I won’t survive at all – after fighting so hard and for so long with so many medical complications and more severe injuries…so wanted to get back to my work, then take a year and do some work for me. (I felt that was fair.) I waited too long…but so many could be helped/saved if I finished my work, I felt compelled to do so – could help so many people. In my world, if you CAN help, you DO help – even if it means giving up years, your social life, sleep and more. Yes, sometimes it IS that important.
I am glad for those going through a difficult time with becoming disabled that at least this is easier, but do ask about those of us like me?
I’m also glad for the SSA as well, as this will simplify their jobs (hopefully) – just wish…… Can one hope this might be addressed?
I do hope to hear from you in time, but please know my electronics have been killed over and over and I simply cannot replace them, and my last computer stolen before I even had a chance to use it. I’m on a borrowed laptop which doesn’t have my accessibility assistance software and more…… and it must be returned – I only hope I can borrow one again.
Thank you for reading this, it’s appreciated. And I do hope for your sake that the changes make your jobs a bit less stressful.
Chris O.
Contact your Congressman and also your State Assemblyman. That’s what they’re there for. These people took these offices to represent You and all citizens in all civil and social matters.
Best luck.