What are The GRID Rules?
The grid rules, formally called Medical-Vocational Guidelines, are a streamlined disability determination process and typically apply to individuals age 50 and over with physical limitations. In some cases, the grid rules are easy to explain and the facts easy to spot. In other cases, particularly when an individual is under 50 years old, performed past relevant work that was sedentary, or where there are primarily nonexertional limitations, it can be much more difficult to apply – and win under – the grid rules.
The grid rules are set up as a chart. By applying the claimant’s age, educational level and past relevant work’s skill level, the chart indicates whether a finding of “disabled” or “not disabled” is warranted.
How the Grid Rules Work
To illustrate how the grid rules work, consider the following illustrations: In our first example, the claimant is 50 years old (closely approaching advanced age), graduated high school, and all of her past relevant work was in the unskilled medium to heavy labor field. Social Security has determined that this individual has the residual functional capacity to do sedentary work. (Or her doctor has completed a medical source statement indicating the client is limited to sedentary work.) Now if you look at the chart for sedentary work in the grid rules and you match up the columns you will see that under rule 201.12 an individual who is closely approaching advanced age, has a high school education, and unskilled past work the rule directs a decision of “disabled.” In the second example, the only difference will be that the claimant is 45 years old and therefore considered a younger individual. If you look again at the sedentary chart in the grid rules you will see under rule 201.27 that a younger individual with a high school education and unskilled past relevant work will direct a finding of “not disabled.” As a third example, we have the same 50 year old, graduated high school, and limited to sedentary, unskilled work. If her past work was performed at the sedentary and unskilled level, the grid rules would not apply as she would be able to perform her past work under that scenario.
Skilled, Semiskilled Work and Transferable Skills
You will notice some of these rules mention skilled and semiskilled work. Explaining what skilled and semiskilled work is, and whether or not these skills are transferable is difficult to quantify and explain, and is one of the reasons why Vocational Expert testimony is required at the hearing. If a claimant had past relevant work that was skilled or semiskilled then there is an issue as to whether or not these skills are transferable to other types of work within their physical limitations. If a claimant’s past work was unskilled, there is no issue of transferability because by definition unskilled work does not incorporate learned or acquired skills.
Unskilled – work which needs little or no judgment to do simple duties that can be learned on the
job in a short period of time (i.e. 30 days or less). This includes jobs in which the primary duties
are handling, feeding and offbearing (that is placing or removing materials from machines which are automatic or operated by others), or machine tending, are generally unskilled since a person can usually learn to do them within 30 days and limited judgment is necessary.
Semi skilled – work which needs some skills but does not require doing the more complex duties. May require alertness and close attention to: watching machine processes; or inspecting, testing or otherwise looking for irregularities; or tending or guarding equipment, property, material, or persons against loss, damage or injury; or other types of activities which are similarly less complex than skilled work, but more complex than unskilled work. A job may be classified as semiskilled where coordination and dexterity are necessary, as when hands or feet must be moved quickly to do repetitive tasks.
Skilled – work which requires qualifications in which a person uses judgment to determine the machine and manual operations to be performed in order to obtain the proper form, quality, or quantity of material to be produced. May require: laying out work, estimating quality, determining the suitability and needed quantities of materials, making precise measurements, reading blueprints or other specifications, making necessary computations or mechanical adjustments to control or regulate the work, or dealing with people, facts, or figures or abstract ideas at a high level of complexity.
How SSA Classifies RFC
Heavy Work – requires lifting no more than 100 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
Medium Work – Requires lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or
carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds. NOTE: Being able to frequently lift or carry objects weighing up to 25 pounds is often more critical than being able to lift up to 50 pounds at a time. Usually requires frequent stooping and crouching. Usually requires standing or walking, off and on, for a total of approximately 6 hours of an 8-hour workday.
Light Work – Requires lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may be very little, a job is in this category when it requires a good deal of walking or standing or when it involves sitting most of the time with some pushing or pulling of arm or leg controls, e.g., mattress sewing machine operator. Usually involves (at least to some degree) grasping, holding, and turning objects, but does not require use of the fingers for fine activities to the extent required in much sedentary work. Usually requires standing or walking, off and on, for a total of approximately 6 hours of an 8-hour day.
Sedentary – Requires lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although sitting is involved, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Periods of standing or walking should generally total no more than about 2 hours of an 8-hour workday and sitting should generally total approximately 6 hours of an 8-hour workday. Most unskilled sedentary jobs require good use of the hands and fingers for repetitive hand-finger actions. Does not entail significant stooping or crouching since the work is performed primarily in a seated position.
