How does the "five-step sequential evaluation process" work?

The five-step sequential evaluation process is a systematic approach used primarily by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to determine whether an individual qualifies for disability benefits. This process involves five distinct steps that assess various factors to evaluate an applicant's disability status comprehensively.

At the first step, the process checks if the applicant is engaged in "substantial gainful activity". If they are, it is determined they are not disabled. The second step involves a consideration of the severity of the applicant's impairments, ensuring that they significantly limit the ability to perform basic work activities. If the impairments are deemed severe, the process moves to the third step to see if the impairments meet or equal the criteria of a specific listing in the SSA's Blue Book.

If the applicant does not meet the listings, the evaluation continues to the fourth step, which considers whether the applicant can perform any past relevant work given their residual functional capacity (RFC). Lastly, the fifth step evaluates if there are any other jobs in the national economy that the applicant can perform, considering their RFC, age, education, and work experience.

Thus, the five-step sequential evaluation process assists in determining if an applicant is disabled based on specific criteria that take into account their medical conditions, functional limitations