WAC 182-508-0100 PEP Step VII--Evaluating a client's capacity to perform relevant past work. If the individual's overall severity rating is moderate (three) or marked (four) at this stage of the PEP and the agency or the agency's designee has not approved or denied the individual's application, then the agency or the agency's designee will decide if the individual can do the same or similar work as they have done in the past. The agency or the agency's designee looks at the individual's current physical and/or mental limitations from cognitive, social, and vocational factors to make this decision. Vocational factors are education, relevant work history, and age.
(1) The agency or the agency's designee evaluates education in terms of formal schooling or other training that would enable the individual to meet job requirements. Education is classified as:
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If the individual:
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Then the individual's education level is
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a. Can’t read or write a simple communication, such as two sentences or a list of items.
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Illiterate.
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b. Has no formal schooling or vocational training beyond the eleventh grade; or
c. Has participated in special education in basic academic classes of reading, writing, or mathematics in high school.
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Limited education
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d. Has received a high school diploma or general equivalency degree (GED); or
e. Has received skills training and was awarded a certificate, degree or license.
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High school and above level of education.
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(2) The agency or the agency's designee evaluates the individual's work experience to determine if they have relevant past work.
"Relevant past work" means work that:
(a) Is defined as gainful employment per WAC 182-508-0015;
(b) Has been performed in the past five years; and
(c) The individual performed long enough to acquire the knowledge and skills to continue performing the job. The individual must meet the specific vocational preparation level as defined in Appendix C of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.
(3) For each relevant past work situation that the individual had, the agency or the agency's designee determines:
(a) The exertion or skill requirements of the job; and
(b) Current cognitive, social, or nonexertion factors that significantly limit the individual's ability to perform past work.
(4) After considering vocational factors, the agency or the agency's designee denies incapacity when the individual has:
(a) The physical and mental ability to perform past work, and there is no significant cognitive, social or exertion limitation that would prevent the individual from performing past work; or
(b) Recently acquired specific work skills through completion of schooling or training, for jobs within the individual's current physical or mental capacities.
(5) The agency or the agency's designee approves incapacity when the individual is fifty-five years of age or older and doesn't have the physical or mental ability to perform past work.
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