Young v. Colvin

• Decision Date: 31 October 2014
• Docket Number: NO. C14-81-JLR-JPD,C14-81-JLR-JPD
• Court: U.S. District Court — Western District of Washington
• Parties: KENDRA ANN YOUNG, Plaintiff, v. CAROLYN W. COLVIN, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, Defendant.

KENDRA ANN YOUNG, Plaintiff, v. CAROLYN W. COLVIN, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, Defendant.

NO. C14-81-JLR-JPD

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE

October 31, 2014

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Plaintiff Kendra Ann Young appeals the final decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration ("Commissioner") which denied her applications for Disabled Adult Child Benefits ("DAC") and Supplemental Security Income ("SSI") under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 401-33 and 1381-83f, after a hearing before an administrative law judge ("ALJ"). For the reasons set forth below, the Court recommends that the Commissioner's decision be reversed and remanded for further administrative proceedings. Although plaintiff requests oral argument, the undersigned finds such argument to be unnecessary here.

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

At the time of the administrative hearings, plaintiff was a 28 year old woman with a ninth grade education. Administrative Record ("AR") at 58-59. Her past work experienceincludes employment as a fast food worker. AR at 88-90. Plaintiff was last employed in 2002. AR at 288, 291.

On August 11, 2009, plaintiff protectively filed a claim for SSI payments. AR at 277-85. On April 26, 2012, she filed an application for DAC, alleging an onset date of January 1, 2000. AR at 268-76, 293-94. For purposes of DAC benefits, plaintiff attained the age of 22 in 2005. See AR at 293. Plaintiff asserts that she is disabled due to depression and psychosis. AR at 312.

The Commissioner denied plaintiff's SSI claim initially and on reconsideration. AR at 142-45, 149-54. Plaintiff's requested hearings took place on January 23, 2012, and April 27, 2012. AR at 42-139. On May 10, 2012, the ALJ issued a decision finding plaintiff not disabled and denied benefits based on a finding that plaintiff could perform work as a cleaner/housekeeper, folder, and price marker, which exist in significant numbers in the national economy. AR at 19-41.

Plaintiff's administrative appeal of the ALJ's decision was denied by the Appeals Council, AR at 1-7, making the ALJ's ruling the "final decision" of the Commissioner as that term is defined by 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). On January 17, 2014, plaintiff timely filed the present action challenging the Commissioner's decision. Dkt. No. 1.

II. JURISDICTION

Jurisdiction to review the Commissioner's decision exists pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 405(g) and 1383(c)(3).

III. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), this Court may set aside the Commissioner's denial of social security benefits when the ALJ's findings are based on legal error or not supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole. Bayliss v. Barnhart, 427 F.3d 1211, 1214 (9thCir. 2005). "Substantial evidence" is more than a scintilla, less than a preponderance, and is such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion. Richardson v. Perales, 402 U.S. 389, 401 (1971); Magallanes v. Bowen, 881 F.2d 747, 750 (9th Cir. 1989). The ALJ is responsible for determining credibility, resolving conflicts in medical testimony, and resolving any other ambiguities that might exist. Andrews v. Shalala, 53 F.3d 1035, 1039 (9th Cir. 1995). While the Court is required to examine the record as a whole, it may neither reweigh the evidence nor substitute its judgment for that of the Commissioner. Thomas v. Barnhart, 278 F.3d 947, 954 (9th Cir. 2002). When the evidence is susceptible to more than one rational interpretation, it is the Commissioner's conclusion that must be upheld. Id.

The Court may direct an award of benefits where "the record has been fully developed and further administrative proceedings would serve no useful purpose." McCartey v. Massanari, 298 F.3d 1072, 1076 (9th Cir. 2002) (citing Smolen v. Chater, 80 F.3d 1273, 1292 (9th Cir. 1996)). The Court may find that this occurs when:

(1) the ALJ has failed to provide legally sufficient reasons for rejecting the claimant's evidence; (2) there are no outstanding issues that must be resolved before a determination of disability can be made; and (3) it is clear from the record that the ALJ would be required to find the claimant disabled if he considered the claimant's evidence.

Id. at 1076-77; see also Harman v. Apfel, 211 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2000) (noting that erroneously rejected evidence may be credited when all three elements are met).

IV. EVALUATING DISABILITY

As the claimant, Ms. Young bears the burden of proving that she is disabled within the meaning of the Social Security Act (the "Act"). Meanel v. Apfel, 172 F.3d 1111, 1113 (9th Cir. 1999) (internal citations omitted). The Act defines disability as the "inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity" due to a physical or mental impairment which has lasted, or isexpected to last, for a continuous period of not less than twelve months. 42 U.S.C. §§ 423(d)(1)(A), 1382c(a)(3)(A). A claimant is disabled under the Act only if her impairments are of such severity that she is unable to do her previous work, and cannot, considering her age, education, and work experience, engage in any other substantial gainful activity existing in the national economy. 42 U.S.C. §§ 423(d)(2)(A); see also Tackett v. Apfel, 180 F.3d 1094, 1098-99 (9th Cir. 1999).

The Commissioner has established a five step sequential evaluation process for determining whether a claimant is disabled within the meaning of the Act. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520, 416.920. The claimant bears the burden of proof during steps one through four. At step five, the burden shifts to the Commissioner. Id. If a claimant is found to be disabled at any step in the sequence, the inquiry ends without the need to consider subsequent steps. Step one asks whether the claimant is presently engaged in "substantial gainful activity." 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(b), 416.920(b).¹ If she is, disability benefits are denied. If she is not, the Commissioner proceeds to step two. At step two, the claimant must establish that she has one or more medically severe impairments, or combination of impairments, that limit her physical or mental ability to do basic work activities. If the claimant does not have such impairments, she is not disabled. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(c), 416.920(c). If the claimant does have a severe impairment, the Commissioner moves to step three to determine whether the impairment meets or equals any of the listed impairments described in the regulations. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(d), 416.920(d). A claimant whose impairment meets or equals one of the listings for the required twelve-month duration requirement is disabled. Id.

When the claimant's impairment neither meets nor equals one of the impairments listed in the regulations, the Commissioner must proceed to step four and evaluate the claimant's residual functional capacity ("RFC"). 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(e), 416.920(e). Here, the Commissioner evaluates the physical and mental demands of the claimant's past relevant work to determine whether she can still perform that work. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(f), 416.920(f). If the claimant is able to perform her past relevant work, she is not disabled; if the opposite is true, then the burden shifts to the Commissioner at step five to show that the claimant can perform other work that exists in significant numbers in the national economy, taking into consideration the claimant's RFC, age, education, and work experience. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(g), 416.920(g); Tackett, 180 F.3d at 1099, 1100. If the Commissioner finds the claimant is unable to perform other work, then the claimant is found disabled and benefits may be awarded.

V. DECISION BELOW

On May 10, 2012, the ALJ issued a decision finding the following:

1. The claimant has engaged in substantial gainful activity during the following periods: 01/01/2007 through 12/31/2007.

2. However, there has been a continuous 12-month period(s) during which the claimant did not engage in substantial gainful activity. The remaining findings address the period(s) the claimant did not engage in substantial gainful activity.

3. The claimant has the following severe impairments: polysubstance abuse or dependence (currently in remission), depression with psychosis, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

4. The claimant does not have an impairment or combination of impairments that meets or medically equals the severity of one of the listed impairments in 20 CFR Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1.

5. After careful consideration of the entire record, the undersigned finds that the claimant has the residual functional capacity to perform a full range of work at all exertional levels but with the following nonexertional limitations: the claimant is able to do work that is lowstress, meaning that it consists of simple and repetitive tasks, that does not require more than superficial interaction with the general public or coworkers, does not require exercising more than rudimentary judgment, and does not require learning new tasks once the job's tasks are learned.

6. The claimant is unable to perform any past relevant work.

7. The claimant was born on XXXXX, 1983 and was 25 years old, which is defined as a younger individual age 18-49, on the date the application was filed.²

8. The claimant has a limited education and is able to communicate in English.

9. Transferability of job skills is not material to the determination of disability because using the Medical-Vocational Rules as a framework supports a finding that the claimant is "not disabled," whether or not the claimant has transferable job skills.

10. Considering the claimant's age, education, work experience, and residual functional capacity, there are jobs that exist in significant numbers in the national economy that the claimant can perform.

11. The claimant has not been under a disability, as defined in the Social Security Act, since October 19, 2006, the date she originally alleged disability to have

...