(a) If you have done only arduous unskilled physical labor. If you have no more than a marginal education (see Sec. 416.964) and work experience of 35 years or more during which you did only arduous unskilled physical labor, and you are not working and are no longer able to do this kind of work because of a severe impairment(s) (see Secs. 416.920(c), 416.921, and 416.923), we will consider you unable to do lighter work, and therefore, disabled.
Example to paragraph (a): B is a 58-year-old miner's helper with a fourth grade education who has a lifelong history of unskilled arduous physical labor. B says that he is disabled because of arthritis of the spine, hips, and knees, and other impairments. Medical evidence shows a ``severe'' combination of impairments that prevents B from performing his past relevant work. Under these circumstances, we will find that B is disabled.
(b) If you are at least 55 years old, have no more than a limited education, and have no past relevant work experience. If you have a severe, medically determinable impairment(s) (see Secs. 416.920(c), 416.921, and 416.923), are of advanced age (age 55 or older, see Sec. 416.963), have a limited education or less (see Sec. 416.964), and have no past relevant work experience (see Sec. 416.965), we will find you disabled. If the evidence shows that you meet this profile, we will not need to assess your residual functional capacity or consider the rules in appendix 2 to subpart P of part 404 of this chapter. [68 FR 51166, Aug. 26, 2003]