In the rare case where a claimant has no “severe” impairment or combination of impairments,
but the non-severe impairment prevents the ability to do PRW because of the unique
features of the work, do not deny the claimant at step 2. Proceed through the sequential
evaluation process.
Assess the claimant’s non-severe limitations or restrictions and make a function-by-function
comparison of your assessment with the requirements of the claimant’s PRW.
At step 4, find that the claimant cannot do PRW unless they are capable of doing the
work as generally performed in the national economy.
If the claimant cannot do PRW as they performed it or as generally performed in the
national economy, proceed to step 5.
Do not consider the medical-vocational profiles when a non-severe impairment prevents
PRW because of the unique feature(s) of the work. These profiles require a severe
impairment. For information on medical-vocational profiles, see DI 25010.001.
Consider ability to adjust to other work using a framework of medical-vocational rule
204.00. For information on using rule 204.00 as a framework for a determination, see
DI 25025.010.
EXAMPLE: The claimant is 60 years of age, has a 9th grade education and 34 years of work at a printing factory. They have recently become
severely allergic to the chemicals required to do this work. They are no longer able
to do this work as they performed it or as generally performed in the national economy
because of their allergy. Because the claimant has a non-severe impairment that prevents
their PRW, they are not a denial at step 2. At step 5, they will be able to adjust
to other work using a framework of medical-vocational rule 204.00.