It was a busy Saturday for Social Security. Yes, a busy Saturday!
First, Social Security has added significantly more data to the online reports available to attorneys representing claimants at the initial and reconsideration levels. I have not tried it yet but early reports I have heard indicate that it’s a work in progress. Still, this holds out the prospect of two advantages. It gives attorneys easier access to information on the status of their clients’ cases. It cuts down on the number of calls to Social Security asking about case status.
Second, Social Security issued two Emergency Messages on which jobs can be considered as alternative work a claimant can perform if he or she is unable to perform their past relevant work. In the more important of the Emergency Messages there is a list of jobs that cannot be considered absent “additional evidence” from a Vocational Expert:
DOT Code | DOT Occupational Title | DOT Industry Designation |
209.587-010 | Addresser | clerical |
249.587-018 | Document Preparer, Microfilming | business services |
249.587-014 | Cutter-and-Paster, Press Clippings | business services |
239.687-014 | Tube Operator | clerical |
318.687-018 | Silver Wrapper | hotel and restaurant |
349.667-010 | Host/Hostess, Dance Hall | amusement and recreation |
349.667-014 | Host/Hostess, Head | amusement and recreation |
379.367-010 | Surveillance-System Monitor | government services |
521.687-010 | Almond Blancher, Hand | canning and preserving |
521-687-086 | Nut Sorter | canning and preserving |
726.685-010 | Magnetic-Tape Winder | recording |
782.687-030 | Puller-Through | glove and mitten |
976.385-010 | Microfilm Processor | business services |
In another Emergency Messages there’s this list of jobs that can no longer be considered at all:
DOT Code | DOT Occupational Title | DOT Industry Designation(s) |
013.061-010 | AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER | professional and kindred occupations |
013.061-014 | AGRICULTURAL-RESEARCH ENGINEER | professional and kindred occupations |
013.061-018 | DESIGN-ENGINEER, AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT | professional and kindred occupations |
013.061-022 | TEST ENGINEER, AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT | professional and kindred occupations |
021.067-010 | ASTRONOMER | professional and kindred occupations |
029.067-010 | GEOGRAPHER | professional and kindred occupations |
029.067-014 | GEOGRAPHER, PHYSICAL | professional and kindred occupations |
045.061-014 | PSYCHOLOGIST, ENGINEERING | professional and kindred occupations |
045.107-030 | PSYCHOLOGIST, INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL | professional and kindred occupations |
052.067-014 | DIRECTOR, STATE-HISTORICAL SOCIETY | professional and kindred occupations |
052.067-018 | GENEALOGIST | professional and kindred occupations |
052.067-022 | HISTORIAN | professional and kindred occupations |
052.067-026 | HISTORIAN, DRAMATIC ARTS | professional and kindred occupations |
052.167-010 | DIRECTOR, RESEARCH | motion picture; radio and television broadcasting |
072.101-018 | ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEON | medical services |
072.101-034 | PROSTHODONTIST | medical services |
193.162-022 | AIRLINE-RADIO OPERATOR, CHIEF | air transportation; business services |
193.262-010 | AIRLINE-RADIO OPERATOR | air transportation; business services |
193.262-014 | DISPATCHER | government services |
193.262-022 | RADIO OFFICER | water transportation |
193.262-026 | RADIO STATION OPERATOR | aircraft manufacturing |
193.262-030 | RADIOTELEGRAPH OPERATOR | telephone and telegraph |
193.262-034 | RADIOTELEPHONE OPERATOR | any industry |
193.362-010 | PHOTORADIO OPERATOR | printing and publishing; telephone and telegraph |
193.362-014 | RADIO-INTELLIGENCE OPERATOR | government services |
193.382-010 | ELECTRONIC INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST | military services |
203.562-010 | WIRE-TRANSFER CLERK | financial institutions |
235.462-010 | CENTRAL-OFFICE OPERATOR | telephone and telegraph |
235.562-010 | CLERK, ROUTE | telephone and telegraph |
235.662-018 | DIRECTORY-ASSISTANCE OPERATOR | telephone and telegraph |
236.562-010 | TELEGRAPHER | railroad transportation |
236.562-014 | TELEGRAPHER AGENT | railroad transportation |
237.367-034 | PAY-STATION ATTENDANT | telephone and telegraph |
239.382-010 | WIRE-PHOTO OPERATOR, NEWS | printing and publishing |
297.667-014 | MODEL | garment; retail trade; wholesale trade |
299.647-010 | IMPERSONATOR, CHARACTER | any industry |
305.281-010 | COOK | domestic service |
338.371-010 | EMBALMER APPRENTICE | personal service |
338.371-014 | EMBALMER | personal service |
379.384-010 | SCUBA DIVER | any industry |
410.161-010 | ANIMAL BREEDER | agriculture and agricultural service |
410.161-014 | FUR FARMER | agriculture and agricultural service |
410.161-018 | LIVESTOCK RANCHER | agriculture and agricultural service |
410.161-022 | HOG-CONFINEMENT-SYSTEM MANAGER | agriculture and agricultural service |
411.161-010 | CANARY BREEDER | agriculture and agricultural service |
411.161-014 | POULTRY BREEDER | agriculture and agricultural service |
413.161-014 | REPTILE FARMER | agriculture and agricultural service |
452.167-010 | FIRE WARDEN | forestry |
452.367-010 | FIRE LOOKOUT | forestry |
452.367-014 | FIRE RANGER | forestry |
455.367-010 | LOG GRADER | logging; sawmill and planing mill |
455.487-010 | LOG SCALER | logging; millwork, veneer, plywood, and structural wood members; paper and pulp; sawmill and planing mill |
519.684-010 | LADLE LINER | foundry; smelting and refining |
519.684-022 | STOPPER MAKER | blast furnace, steel work, and rolling and finishing mill |
579.664-010 | CLAY-STRUCTURE BUILDER AND SERVICER | glass manufacturing |
661.281-010 | LOFT WORKER | ship and boat manufacturing and repairing |
661.281-018 | PATTERNMAKER APPRENTICE, WOOD | foundry |
661.281-022 | PATTERNMAKER, WOOD | foundry |
661.380-010 | MODEL MAKER, WOOD | any industry |
690.682-078 | STITCHER, SPECIAL MACHINE | boot and shoe |
690.682-082 | STITCHER, STANDARD MACHINE | boot and shoe |
690.685-494 | STITCHER, TAPE-CONTROLLED MACHINE | boot and shoe |
693.261-018 | MODEL MAKER | aircraft-aerospace manufacturing |
714.281-010 | AIRCRAFT-PHOTOGRAPHIC-EQUIPMENT MECHANIC | photographic apparatus and materials |
714.281-014 | CAMERA REPAIRER | photographic apparatus and materials |
714.281-018 | MACHINIST, MOTION-PICTURE EQUIPMENT | motion picture; photographic apparatus and materials |
714.281-022 | PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT TECHNICIAN | photographic apparatus and materials |
714.281-026 | PHOTOGRAPHIC-EQUIPMENT-MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN | photographic apparatus and materials |
714.281-030 | SERVICE TECHNICIAN, COMPUTERIZED-PHOTOFINISHING EQUIPMENT | photofinishing |
715.281-010 | WATCH REPAIRER | clocks watches, and allied products |
715.281-014 | WATCH REPAIRER APPRENTICE | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-010 | ASSEMBLER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-014 | ASSEMBLER, WATCH TRAIN | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-018 | BANKING PIN ADJUSTER | clocks watches, and allied products |
715.381-022 | BARREL ASSEMBLER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-026 | BARREL-BRIDGE ASSEMBLER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-030 | BARREL-ENDSHAKE ADJUSTER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-038 | CHRONOMETER ASSEMBLER AND ADJUSTER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-042 | CHRONOMETER-BALANCE-AND-HAIRSPRING ASSEMBLER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-054 | HAIRSPRING ASSEMBLER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-062 | HAIRSPRING VIBRATOR | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-082 | PALLET-STONE INSERTER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-086 | PALLET-STONE POSITIONER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.381-094 | WATCH ASSEMBLER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.584-014 | REPAIRER, AUTO CLOCKS | clocks, watches, and allied products |
715.681-010 | TIMING ADJUSTER | clocks, watches, and allied products |
761.381-014 | JIG BUILDER | wooden container |
788.684-114 | THREAD LASTER | boot and shoe |
826.261-010 | FIELD-SERVICE ENGINEER | photographic apparatus and materials |
841.381-010 | PAPERHANGER | construction |
841.684-010 | BILLPOSTER | business services |
849.484-010 | BOILER RELINER, PLASTIC BLOCK | foundry |
850.663-010 | DREDGE OPERATOR | construction; coal, metal, and nonmetal mining and quarrying |
861.381-046 | TERRAZZO WORKER | construction |
861.381-050 | TERRAZZO-WORKER APPRENTICE | construction |
861.664-014 | TERRAZZO FINISHER | construction |
899.261-010 | DIVER | any industry |
899.684-010 | BONDACTOR-MACHINE OPERATOR | foundry |
910.362-010 | TOWER OPERATOR | railroad transportation |
910.363-018 | YARD ENGINEER | railroad transportation |
910.382-010 | CAR-RETARDER OPERATOR | railroad transportation |
910.583-010 | LABORER, CAR BARN | railroad transportation |
910.683-010 | HOSTLER | railroad transportation |
910.683-022 | TRANSFER-TABLE OPERATOR | railroad equipment building and repairing; railroad transportation |
911.663-010 | MOTORBOAT OPERATOR | any industry |
919.663-014 | DINKEY OPERATOR | any industry |
919.683-010 | DOCK HAND | air transportation |
919.683-026 | TRACKMOBILE OPERATOR | any industry |
930.683-026 | ROOF BOLTER | coal, metal, and nonmetal mining and quarrying |
952.362-022 | POWER-REACTOR OPERATOR | utilities |
960.362-010 | MOTION-PICTURE PROJECTIONIST | amusement and recreation; motion picture |
960.382-010 | AUDIOVISUAL TECHNICIAN | any industry |
961.367-010 | MODEL, PHOTOGRAPHERS' | any industry |
961.667-010 | MODEL, ARTISTS' | any industry |
I too am puzzled by that 2nd list, having never in 38 years of practice had any of those jobs cited at Step 5. However seeing the various "model" jobs listed reminded me of a funny story. My client had actually worked as a runway model so we had to deal with that at Step 4. In our hearing prep I asked her what that job was like. She described it and then looked at me, paused, and said, "Ann, YOU could be a model! You know, for older women!"
ReplyDeleteThey can’t be considered at step 5 but can be returned to the job at step 4, if that is what they did in last five years???? I notice they did not take out the Scientology job
ReplyDeletewe got the first list; have not seen the second one; as an insider hat's off to you for providing it.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad there's some skepticism about the silver wrapper.
ReplyDeleteThis is all tinkering at the edges of the real problem: we don't have a current list of DOT jobs and descriptions. The Agency keeps subtracting from a list that was updated last century. Based on that list, VEs try to give updated information on a few of these jobs, like microfilm processor and addresser, which will determine the outcome of many disability cases. But, c'mon, without a complete overhaul of current jobs and DOT descriptions, we're still relying on an old playbook with limited relevance to today's job market.
ReplyDelete"I’m not completely sure about this second list. There aren’t terrazzo finishers or artist’s models anymore? I don’t see being an artist model as a career, however. Aren’t there still embalmers these days?" Seriously? How many FULL-TIME STAND-ALONE artist's models or terrazzo finishers do you think there are? There may be individuals performing these jobs, but most have other duties or do this work part-time.
ReplyDelete@10:15
ReplyDeleteThat's not surprising. Barnhart v Thomas held the past work doesn't have to exist in significant numbers. Interesting sidenote, Alito who was on the 3rd circuit (which was unanimous and en banc) at the time wrote the underlying decision which the supreme court reversed.
I wish I could represent a reptile farmer.
ReplyDeleteYears of schooling to become a Funeral Director/embalmer. That is a niche profession that very few people can actually do or WANT to do, a lot of people drop out. It's not easy to become a funeral director. One must know everything about the profession, not just embalming.
ReplyDelete