What is a key factor in determining whether a claimant can perform past relevant work?

The key factor in determining whether a claimant can perform past relevant work is the physical demands of the job as defined by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA evaluates the exertional and non-exertional requirements of the jobs that the claimant has performed to assess if they can return to those roles given their current medical condition and limitations.

This assessment involves comparing the claimant's current physical and mental capacities with the demands of their past jobs. If the claimant's impairments prevent them from meeting the physical requirements of their previous positions, then they cannot be considered capable of performing past relevant work.

Other factors, such as educational background or workplace environment, may influence employability in a broader sense but are secondary to the direct evaluation of the job's physical demands concerning the claimant's limitations. The duration of unemployment might reflect the claimant's situation but does not inherently address their ability to perform past work roles based on current functional capacities.