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 he or she is capable of doing
the work as generally performed in the national economy.
If the claimant cannot do PRW as he or she performed it or as generally performed
in the national economy, proceed to step 5.
Do not consider the special 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. See DI 25010.001A, Special Medical Vocational Profiles.
Consider ability to adjust to other work using a framework of medical-vocational rule
204.00. See DI 25025.010 Using rule 204.00 as a Framework for a Determination.
EXAMPLE: The claimant is 60 years of age, has a 9th grade education and 34 years of work at a printing factory. He has recently become
severely allergic to the chemicals required to do this work. He is no longer able
to do this work as he performed it or as generally performed in the national economy
because of his allergy. Because the claimant has a not severe impairment that prevents
his PRW, he is not a denial at step 2. At step 5, he will be able to adjust to other
work using a framework of medical-vocational rule 204.00.