20 C.F.R. § 416.962

Medical-vocational profiles showing an inability to make an adjustment to other work

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(a) If you have done only arduous unskilled physical labor. If you have no more than a marginal education (see § 416.964) and work experience of 35 years or more during which you did only arduous unskilled physical labor, and you are not working and are no longer able to do this kind of work because of a severe impairment(s) (see §§ 416.920(c), 416.921, and 416.923), we will consider you unable to do lighter work, and therefore, disabled.

Example to paragraph (a):B is a 58-year-old miner's helper with a fourth grade education who has a lifelong history of unskilled arduous physical labor. B says that he is disabled because of arthritis of the spine, hips, and knees, and other impairments. Medical evidence shows a “severe” combination of impairments that prevents B from performing his past relevant work. Under these circumstances, we will find that B is disabled.

(b) If you are at least 55 years old, have no more than a limited education, and have no past relevant work experience. If you have a severe, medically determinable impairment(s) (see §§ 416.920(c), 416.921, and 416.923), are of advanced age (age 55 or older, see § 416.963), have a limited education or less (see § 416.964), and have no past relevant work experience (see § 416.965), we will find you disabled. If the evidence shows that you meet this profile, we will not need to assess your residual functional capacity or consider the rules in appendix 2 to subpart P of part 404 of this chapter.

[68 FR 51166, Aug. 26, 2003]

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 13 cases (7 in the last 5 years), 2004–2025 · leading case: Street v. Barnhart

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Street v. Barnhart (2004) almd · cites it 4× “11, 2002) :(1) whether the ALJ improperly failed to find that the plaintiff had “severe” mental impairments; (2) whether the ALJ improperly questioned the vocational expert by failing to refer to mental impairments; and (3) whether the ALJ improperly failed to apply the “arduous…”

Mack v. Colvin (2016) casd · cites it 8× “20 C.F.R. § 416.962 (b). Section 416.964 of Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations explains how education is evaluated as a vocational factor: (a) .”

Bennett v. Social Security Administration, Commissioner of (2024) tned · cites it 4× “Plaintiff contends that this error was harmful because if the ALJ had properly considered this testing and determined Plaintiff had a limited education, then under 20 C.F.R. § 416.962 (b), Plaintiff would be considered disabled because she has severe impairments, was fifty-five…”

(SS) Massimo v. Commissioner of Social Security (2019) caed · cites it 3× “20 C.F.R. § 416.962 mandates the ALJ address the medical-vocational 11 profiles showing an inability to make an adjustment to other work.”

Boone v. Berryhill (2019) alsd · cites it 2× “Whether Boone had Past Relevant Work as a Cleaner/Housekeeper.”

Jones v. Commissioner of Social Security (2022) flmd “1562 or 20 C.F.R. § 416.962 may apply, the SSA will assess the claim under step seven under the DIB framework and step six under the SSI framework and make a finding about whether the claimant can perform past relevant work.”

Hernandez v. Commissioner of Social Security (2023) flmd “Effectively, Plaintiff’s counsel argues that, if Plaintiff was limited to simple work while being over the age of 55 with no past relevant work, she should be considered to have a limited education and therefore disabled as of the month she attained the age of 55 under 20 C.F.R.…”

DeArce Reyes v. Commissioner of Social Security (2024) flmd “1562 or 20 C.F.R. § 416.962 may apply, the SSA will assess the claim under step seven under the DIB framework and step six under the SSI framework and make a finding about whether the claimant can perform past relevant work.”

Suja v. Commissioner of Social Security (2020) wawd “The regulations explain formal education may not be meaningful if the 21 22 1 The rule also appears at 20 C.F.R. § 416.962 (a), for Supplemental Security Income benefits 23 claims.”

Magar v. Commissioner of Social Security (2021) wawd “17 An individual with a severe, medically determinable impairment, of advanced age (age 55 18 or older), with a limited education or less and no past relevant work experience, will be found 19 disabled under 20 C.F.R. § 416.962 (b) at step two of the sequential evaluation.”

Sanchez v. Kijakazi (2024) casd “The Commissioner does not object to 6 the R&R’s conclusion that remand is also necessary to develop the record to determine 7 whether Plaintiff meets the elements of 20 C.F.R. § 416.962 (b), and the Court the 8 ADOPTS that portion of the R&R as well.”

(SS) Valdez v. Commissioner of Social Security (2025) caed “Plaintiff cites 20 C.F.R. § 416.962 (b), which provides in relevant 5 part: 6 If you have a severe, medically determinable impairment(s), and are of advanced age (age 55 or older), and have no past relevant work 7 experience, we will find you disabled.”

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