Rule 201.01 — Disabled
- Age
- Advanced age
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Disabled
SSA Medical-Vocational Guidelines
Sedentary Grid Rules — Table 1
Rules 201.01–201.29 · 29 rules · 9 direct Disabled outcomes
Table 1 applies when the person’s maximum sustained work capability is limited to sedentary work. The rule number identifies a specific combination of age, education, and previous work experience.
RFC level: Sedentary work
Sedentary work generally means lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time, with sitting for about 6 hours and standing or walking occasionally during an 8-hour workday.
Table 1 rules
| Rule | Age | Education | Previous work experience | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201.01 | Advanced age | Limited or less | Unskilled or none | Disabled |
| 201.02 | Advanced age | Limited or less | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Disabled |
| 201.03 | Advanced age | Limited or less | Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.04 | Advanced age | High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work | Unskilled or none | Disabled |
| 201.05 | Advanced age | High school graduate or more — provides for direct entry into skilled work | Unskilled or none | Not disabled |
| 201.06 | Advanced age | High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Disabled |
| 201.07 | Advanced age | High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work | Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.08 | Advanced age | High school graduate or more — provides for direct entry into skilled work | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.09 | Closely approaching advanced age | Limited or less | Unskilled or none | Disabled |
| 201.10 | Closely approaching advanced age | Limited or less | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Disabled |
| 201.11 | Closely approaching advanced age | Limited or less | Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.12 | Closely approaching advanced age | High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work | Unskilled or none | Disabled |
| 201.13 | Closely approaching advanced age | High school graduate or more — provides for direct entry into skilled work | Unskilled or none | Not disabled |
| 201.14 | Closely approaching advanced age | High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Disabled |
| 201.15 | Closely approaching advanced age | High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work | Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.16 | Closely approaching advanced age | High school graduate or more — provides for direct entry into skilled work | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.17 | Younger individual age 45–49 | Illiterate | Unskilled or none | Disabled |
| 201.18 | Younger individual age 45–49 | Limited or marginal, but not illiterate | Unskilled or none | Not disabled |
| 201.19 | Younger individual age 45–49 | Limited or less | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.20 | Younger individual age 45–49 | Limited or less | Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.21 | Younger individual age 45–49 | High school graduate or more | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.22 | Younger individual age 45–49 | High school graduate or more | Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.23 | Younger individual age 18–44 | Illiterate | Unskilled or none | Not disabled |
| 201.24 | Younger individual age 18–44 | Limited or marginal, but not illiterate | Unskilled or none | Not disabled |
| 201.25 | Younger individual age 18–44 | Limited or less | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.26 | Younger individual age 18–44 | Limited or less | Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.27 | Younger individual age 18–44 | High school graduate or more | Unskilled or none | Not disabled |
| 201.28 | Younger individual age 18–44 | High school graduate or more | Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable | Not disabled |
| 201.29 | Younger individual age 18–44 | High school graduate or more | Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable | Not disabled |
Rule 201.02 — Disabled
- Age
- Advanced age
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Disabled
Rule 201.03 — Not disabled
- Age
- Advanced age
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.04 — Disabled
- Age
- Advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Disabled
Rule 201.05 — Not disabled
- Age
- Advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — provides for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.06 — Disabled
- Age
- Advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Disabled
Rule 201.07 — Not disabled
- Age
- Advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.08 — Not disabled
- Age
- Advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — provides for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.09 — Disabled
- Age
- Closely approaching advanced age
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Disabled
Rule 201.10 — Disabled
- Age
- Closely approaching advanced age
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Disabled
Rule 201.11 — Not disabled
- Age
- Closely approaching advanced age
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.12 — Disabled
- Age
- Closely approaching advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Disabled
Rule 201.13 — Not disabled
- Age
- Closely approaching advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — provides for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.14 — Disabled
- Age
- Closely approaching advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Disabled
Rule 201.15 — Not disabled
- Age
- Closely approaching advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — does not provide for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.16 — Not disabled
- Age
- Closely approaching advanced age
- Education
- High school graduate or more — provides for direct entry into skilled work
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.17 — Disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 45–49
- Education
- Illiterate
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Disabled
Rule 201.18 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 45–49
- Education
- Limited or marginal, but not illiterate
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.19 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 45–49
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.20 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 45–49
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.21 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 45–49
- Education
- High school graduate or more
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.22 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 45–49
- Education
- High school graduate or more
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.23 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 18–44
- Education
- Illiterate
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.24 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 18–44
- Education
- Limited or marginal, but not illiterate
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.25 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 18–44
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.26 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 18–44
- Education
- Limited or less
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.27 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 18–44
- Education
- High school graduate or more
- Previous work experience
- Unskilled or none
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.28 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 18–44
- Education
- High school graduate or more
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills not transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
Rule 201.29 — Not disabled
- Age
- Younger individual age 18–44
- Education
- High school graduate or more
- Previous work experience
- Skilled or semiskilled — skills transferable
- Decision
- Not disabled
How to read the Sedentary work rules
The Disabled outcomes cluster around advanced age (55 and older) and closely approaching advanced age (50–54), especially when past work was unskilled or skills are not transferable. Education that provides for direct entry into skilled work can change the result.
Rule 201.17 is an important exception to the shorthand that sedentary Disabled rules begin at age 50: it directs Disabled for some people ages 45–49 who are illiterate and have unskilled or no work experience. Other younger-person rules generally direct Not disabled.
For people age 50 and older, whether skills transfer to other work within the sedentary RFC is often decisive. The rules distinguish transferable skills from skills that would require vocational adjustment; for advanced-age claimants, SSA applies a particularly strict standard to transferability.
These rules are considered at Step 5, after SSA assesses your Sedentary work RFC. See the denial FAQ for an overview of appeal deadlines and options.
The age notes sometimes used to summarize these tables can miss exceptions. SSA’s current Table 1 marks 9 rules Disabled, including Rule 201.17 for some people ages 45–49; Table 2 includes Rule 202.09 for ages 50–54; and Table 3 includes Rule 203.10 for advanced age (55+), not only age 60+.
Source: Official SSA Medical-Vocational Guidelines (20 CFR Part 404, Appendix 2).