Past Relevant Work

When an individual files for Social Security Disability payments, the Social Security Administration evaluates a variety of characteristics to determine whether the individual is capable of engaging in any type of work activity. Among the factors considered is the applicant’s prior relevant work experience.

According to Social Security Disability standards, past relevant work includes any sort of labor performed by the individual during the preceding fifteen years. This labor must have been completed on a full-time basis for a period of three months or more in exchange for salary or other recompense. If a previous employment ended in an unsuccessful job search, the previous job is not considered relevant work experience.

At step four of the Social Security Administration’s evaluation procedure for determining whether or not an individual is disabled, the Social Security Administration considers prior relevant labor. When completing your Social Security Disability application, it is critical to specify your previous work experience precisely. If you are evasive when completing this section of the disability papers, you may jeopardize your chances of receiving disability compensation.

The Social Security Administration attentively examines your prior relevant work and employment history during the last fifteen years. If the Social Security Administration judges that you are capable of returning to the sort of work you previously performed or transferring your prior job experience to another type of job accessible in the national economy, your application for Social Security Disability payments will be denied.

When completing your disability application, be succinct and direct in explaining your former employment. Be truthful, but avoid embellishing your employment history. Bear in mind that this is not a résumé; it is a request for disability benefits. If you inflate your prior employment experience, you may jeopardize your eligibility for disability benefits.