Skip to main content

5 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW FOR A SOCIAL SECURITY HEARING

Social Security hearings are held by federal Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) and usually last about an hour.  You, the claimant, will be answering questions posed by the ALJ and by your own attorney/advocate.  Your answers to these questions will form your testimony and provide the ALJ with information needed to decide if you are disabled.

Here are some things you must be able to answer clearly at your hearing.

1.    On what date did you last work for pay?  The ALJ wants to month and year.  You must be able to state this without pause or hesitation.  "I last worked in November of 2022."

2.  Why do you think you are disabled?  May also be asked as:  "Tell me why you believe you are unable to work?"  

  •  Specifics:  Trouble walking, standing, sitting, reaching, bending, lifting, chronic pain, difficulty concentrat                     ing or staying focused, etc.  No general answers like, "I'm just not able to do it any  more."
  • Specifics: Because of back pain I can only sit for about ___ minutes and I can't stand more than about ______ minutes.  Or, My hands go numb with repeated use.

3.  Tell me about your most recent job.  The most important details here are standing and the maximum amount you lifted. These two factors help the vocational witness (VW) to classify your past work as sedentary, light, medium, heavy or very heavy.  This is very important.

4.  Explain any difficulties you have performing normal activities of daily living:  housework, yard work, driving, shopping, caring for your children, etc. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS IN A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY CASE

What are the top 3 most important factors in a Social Security disability case? 1.  Medical Evidence. 2.  Medical Evidence 3.  Medical Evidence 4-10     Medical Evidence Federal regulations set the eligibility requirements for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits.  A claimant must meet these strict legal requirements More than anything else, the claimant's medical evidence will determine the outcome of the claim or appeal.  Without strong objective medical evidence Social Security cannot legally pay you a benefit. Objective Medical Evidence means the result of medical examinations, laboratory tests or imaging studies (X-rays, PT scans, MRI or CT scans). This type of evidence can only be obtained by going to your doctor. There's an old adage that says truthfully:  "The path to Social Security disability benefits runs straight through your doctor's office."  Being approved for an SSDI benefit requires objective medical proof. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

IS IT HARD TO GET SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY IN TENNESSEE?

  How hard is it to get Social Security disability (SSDI) in Tennessee? It can be very difficult.  In the beginning stages of the process, it seems like the agency is out to deny as many claims as possible.  Later--in the appeals process--it takes more technical and legal skill to move through the labyrinth of obstacles. What's the usual reason for an SSDI denial? If you look at all the denial letters, the most comm on reason given is:  You are not disabled according to our rules. The 2 main explanation for finding claimants not disabled are: 1.  You are able to perform some of your past relevant work. 2.  You can't perform any of your past work but you are able to do other work. Those are the two "catch all" reasons Social Security gives for nearly all of their denials.  Both of these reasons fall into the category of a medical denial .  The claimant's condition is not deemed severe enough to prevent all work. There are other reasons for d...
Post a Comment
Read more

CAN YOU WIN YOUR DISABILITY APPEAL WITHOUT A LAWYER?

The Social Security Administration does not require you to have a lawyer to file an appeal or to appear at a hearing.  However, most people heading for a disability hearing will hire a lawyer or advocate to help them.   Studies have shown that you are about twice as likely to win with a lawyer.  A recent study found that claimants with no lawyer win about 30 percent of the time while claimants with a lawyer or advocate win 60 percent of the time.   " He just cooked his own goose." These statistics cover only one aspect of a disability appear--your odds of winning. The other important aspects are time and convenience. If you prepare and adjudicate your own disability appeal, expect to spend 12 to 24 months working on the case.  You will be collecting, reading and submitting hundreds or thousands of pages of medical records.  These records are complex and often difficult to understand.  And you must know how each medical record helps (or hurts) your dis...
Post a Comment
Read more