Under the Social Security Act, the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) has established a five-step sequential evaluation process for determining whether an individual is disabled. The steps are followed in order and are as follows:

Step One: The SSA must determine whether the claimant is engaging in substantial gainful activity.

Substantial gainful activity is defined as work activity that is both substantial and gainful. If a claimant engages in substantial gainful activity, he/she is not disabled irrespective of the severity of the claimant’s physical or mental impairments.

Step Two: The SSA must determine whether the claimant has a medically determinable impairment, or a combination of impairments, that is “severe”.

An impairment or combination of impairments is “severe” if it significantly limits the claimant’s ability to perform basic work activities.

Step Three: The SSA must determine whether the claimant’s impairment or combination of impairments meets or medically equals the criteria of an impairment listed in 20 C.F.R. Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1. Also, the SSA must determine the claimant’s residual functional capacity.

A claimant is disabled as defined by the Social Security Act and its regulations if the claimant’s impairment or combination of impairments meets or medically equals the criteria and duration requirement of a listing.

Step Four: The SSA must determine whether the claimant has the residual functional capacity to perform the requirements of his/her past relevant work. 20 C.F.R. 416.920(f).

A claimant’s residual functional capacity is his/her ability to do physical and mental work activities on a substantial basis despite limitations resulting from the claimant’s impairments. All of the claimant’s impairments must be considered when making this finding, not just the impairments that are severe. When determining residual functional capacity, the SSA considers how the medical condition affects the claimant’s ability to: exert him/herself physically for various work-related activities (such as sitting, standing, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling); perform manipulative and postural activities (such as reaching, handling large objects, using his/her fingers, feeling, stooping, balancing, climbing stairs or ladders, kneeling, crouching, crawling); tolerate certain environmental conditions (such as temperature extremes, wetness, humidity, noise, hazardous working conditions like moving machinery or heights, dust, fumes, odors, gases, poor ventilation, vibrations); see, hear, and speak; maintain concentration and attention at work; understand, remember and carry out instructions; respond appropriately to supervisors, co-workers, and usual work situations; and cope with changes in the work setting. A claimant is not disabled if he/she has the residual functional capacity to do the his/her past relevant work.

Step Five: The SSA must determine whether the claimant is able to do any other work considering his/her residual functional capacity, age, education, and work experience.

If a claimant cannot do the work he/she did before, the SSA considers his/her remaining ability to do other work considering age, education and work experience. These factors are assessed with the claimant’s capacity to work to determine if he/she can be expected to adjust to other work that exists in the national economy. A claimant is not disabled if, based on residual functional capacity, age, education and work experience, he/she is able to do other work.