(SS) Watson v. Commissioner of Social Security

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9 PHILLIP JOHN WATSON, No. 2:20-cv-02314 AC Plaintiff, v. ORDER KILOLO KIJAKAZI, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, 14 Defendant.

16 Plaintiff seeks judicial review of a final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner”), denying his application for disability insurance benefits (“DIB”) under Title II of the Social Security Act (“the Act”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 401-34. For the reasons that follow, plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment will be GRANTED in part and DENIED in part, and defendant’s cross-motion for summary judgment and motion for remand will be GRANTED. Both plaintiff and the Commissioner agree the Administrative Law Judge in this case erred and that the matter needs to be remanded. Plaintiff raises some grounds for remand that the Commissioner disputes, and the parties dispute whether remand should be for further proceedings or an immediate award of benefits. ECF No. 30 at 3. The matter will be remanded to…