Sandra K. Forney v. Kenneth S. Apfel, Commissioner of Social Security (524 U.S. 266)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided June 15, 1998 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 524 U.S. 266 · 118 S. Ct. 1984
- Decided
- June 15, 1998
- Term
- October Term 1997
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Breyer
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Justice Breyer delivered the opinion of the Court. The question in this case is whether a Social Security disability claimant seeking court reversal of an agency decision denying benefits may appeal a district court order remanding the case to the agency for further proceedings. We conclude that the law authorizes such an appeal. I Sandra K. Forney, the petitioner, applied for Social Security disability benefits under § 228 of the Social Security Act, as added, 70 Stat. 815, and as amended, 42 U. S. C. §423. A Social Security Administration Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) determined (1) that Forney had not worked since the onset of her medical problem, and (2) that she was more than minimally disabled, but (3) that she was not disabled enough to qualify for benefits automatically. Moreover, her disability, (4) while sufficiently serious to prevent her return to her former work (cook, kitchen manager, or baker), (5) was not serious enough to prevent her from holding other jobs available in the economy (such as order clerk or telephone answering service operator). App. 12-28. The ALJ consequently denied her disability claim, id., at 28, and the Administration’s Appeals Council denied Forney’s request for review, App. to Pet. for Cert. 39-40; see generally Bowen v. Yuckert, 482 U. S. 137, 140-142 (1987) (setting forth five-part “disability” test); 20 CFR §404.1520 (1997) (same).…
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