Richard Haynes v. Carolyn W. Colvin

MEMORANDUM

Richard Haynes appeals the district court’s order affirming the ALJ’s denial of Social Security benefits. We review de novo and may reverse only if the ALJ’s decision was not supported by substantial evidence or if the ALJ applied the wrong legal standard. Molina v. Astrue, 674 F.3d 1104, 1110 (9th Cir.2012).

The ALJ offered several specific, clear, and convincing reasons for the negative credibility finding. The ALJ noted inconsistencies in Haynes’s self-reported ability to engage in tasks that involve concentration, reading, writing, filling out forms, and communication. See id. at 1112 (noting that inconsistencies in a claimant’s testimony about the claimant’s abilities properly inform a credibility determination). The ALJ further noted that Haynes’s testimony about his cognitive impairments and weakness is not consistent with parts of the medical record. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1529 (c)(4), 416.929(c)(3); see also Carmickle v. Comm’r, Soc. Sec. Admin., 533 F.3d 1155, 1161 (9th Cir.2008) (“Contradiction with the medical record is a sufficient basis for rejecting the claimant’s subjective testimony.”). Finally, the ALJ appropriately considered “[t]he possibility of…