The Social Security Administration is changing the rules on how Past Relevant Work is evaluated. Effective June 22, 2024, the Administration will only consider the past five years of Past Relevant Work – instead of fifteen years – when making decisions on applications for disability benefits.

Past Relevant Work is an issue in the analysis of disability claims. Applicants generally must prove they are not capable of performing their earlier jobs before addressing the question whether there are other jobs the applicant can perform. Now the SSA will only look back for the past five years, instead of the last fifteen.

Whether a job is considered Past Relevant Work can be a confusing issue  – however, the period being reduced from fifteen years to five years can be helpful to many people seeking disability benefits with the SSA.

Your inquiries about the SSA and disability questions are welcome. We can be reached at telephone number 816-781-4836.