Steven Arrieta v. Andrew Saul

INTRODUCTION

Steven A. (“Plaintiff”) filed an application for Supplemental Security Income in September 2016, alleging disability beginning April 3, 1992. See Dkt. 14, Administrative Record (“AR”) AR 183.1 After being denied by initial determination, Plaintiff received a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) in November 2018, see AR 34-66.

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.

Additionally, all citations to the AR are to the record pagination. All other docket citations are to the CM/ECF pagination. The ALJ issued an unfavorable decision on February 22, 2019. See AR 12-33. The ALJ followed the five-step sequential evaluation process for determining whether an individual is disabled. At step one, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had not engaged in substantial gainful activity since the application date. See AR 17. At step two, the ALJ determined that Plaintiff had the severe impairments of depression and Noonan syndrome. See id. At step three, the ALJ determined…