Juliet Emerson Gaunt v. Kilolo Kijakazi

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff applied for benefits on April 28, 2020, alleging disability beginning on July 1, 2016. See Dkt. 10, Administrative Record (“AR”) 15, 293-94.2 Her claims were denied at the initial level on December 29, 2020, and

1 The Court partially redacts Plaintiff’s name in compliance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2(c)(2)(B) and the recommendation of the Committee on Court Administration and Case Management of the Judicial Conference of the United States. 2 Citations to the AR are to the record pagination. All other docket upon reconsideration on April 28, 2021. See AR 167-72, 174-79. Plaintiff received a hearing before an ALJ on March 14, 2022. See AR 37-102. The ALJ issued an unfavorable decision on May 13, 2022. See AR 12-36. The ALJ followed the five-step sequential evaluation process for determining whether an individual is disabled. See 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a). At step one, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had not engaged in substantial gainful activity from her alleged onset date through her date last insured (December 31, 2021). See AR 17. At step two, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had the following severe impairments: “fibromyalgia; iron deficiency…