Mary L. Johnson v. JoAnne B. Barnhart

Mary Johnson appeals the district court’s affirmance of the Social Security Commissioner’s (“Commissioner’s”) denial of benefits. For the reasons that follow, we vacate and remand.

Johnson applied for disability and supplemental security income benefits in January 2000, claiming that she had been disabled since October 27, 1999 due to a back injury. At a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”), Johnson testified that the pain was a “ten” on a scale of one to ten and that it was more severe when she tried to sit or stand and, therefore, she spent about twenty-three hours a day…