Questions You Should Expect at Your Hearing
Every Social Security judge is different and will ask different questions. When I am preparing my clients for hearings, however, there are certain questions that I want my clients to be able to answer because these questions frequently get asked. If you need to write down some of this information and bring in a notepad, that is better than guessing and stumbling about for answers. If you are scheduled for a hearing, you should have thought out answers to the following questions:
- Identify the jobs you have performed over the past 15 years – ideally you should know the name of your employer, your job title and the dates of employment.
- Identify the medications you currently take.
- Identify the side effects from the medications you take.
- What is the main reason that you content that you cannot work?
- How long can you continuously sit? What happens if you remain seated beyond this time?
- How long can you continuously stand? What happens if you remain standing beyond this time? Do you need an assistive device to stand?
- How long (or how far) can you walk? What happens if you walk beyond this point? Do you need an assistive device? Is there a difference between walking on flat ground vs. irregular terrain or an incline?
- If you contend that you can only sit or stand for limited periods of time, how many times can you repeat the sit/stand/walk cycle before you have to lie down or take strong pain medications?
- What do you do doing the day beginning with the time you get up?
- Do you have a driver’s license? If so, how much driving do you engage in during an average week?
- How often do you get out of the house?
- What do you do when you leave the house?
- Have you engaged in any type of work for pay, volunteer work or sustained activity outside the home since you allege that your disability began?
- How long did this post-onset activity last and why did you stop it?
- Do you experience pain in your body?
- Where exactly is the pain?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a mild headache and 10 being a kidney stone, how would you rate your pain?
- How frequently do you have to use the restroom? How long are you typically in the restroom when you go?
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Comments on Questions You Should Expect at Your Hearing
I applied 3/26/09. I have chronic hep c, hypertension, chronic pain from a severely invasive abdominal surgery, opiate additction from the 11 years of round-the-clock opiate pain killer use, and the severe constipation so graciously caused by these meds. Fibromyalgia, depression anxiety and insomnia 7 different meds per day totalling > 700 pills per month. i suffer from skin lesions from hep c, and between the brainfog from hep c and the sedation of so many narcotic or sceduled 11 and 3 meds, I thought I had alzheimers. I was laid off from my job of 25 years, and no one will hire me. Is this eval free? A churchmouse has more assts. Thanks!
My adjudicator sent me additional forms to fill out. One of them is a work history form. This is the same form I already filled out originally. My work history hasn’t changed in the last 2 months. When asked why I had to fill out the form again he said my case is a file case. I never heard that term used before. Can you tell me what a ‘file case’ is?
I have been fighting ssa for 28 yrs . in Dec. 1980 i was severly injured in an auto accident , denied help . in Jan. 1982 i was hit by a car head on while on my motorcycle .
I have filed and tried to get ssa to investigate the system abuse done to me . I have a hearing date this month and when i requested file i found a judges order(1993) had been changed from remanded to dismissed when i pointed this out they ask if i had proof ? i said yes and now they have informed me i can only talk about the 2008 denial .
No lawyer will take my case . When i show them the proof of abuse by ssa district manager they ask me to leave .
i could use any pointers on what i can do !
thank you in advance !
I have really learned from your blog very informative thanks .
i do not however see any articles , advise or rights available for when an ssa employee frauduently denies your claim and purges evidence , falisifys decisions , changes a judges decree and lies to congressmen and senators .
am i to suppose this has never happened to anyone you know ?
My hearing was this April 7th, 2010 and my judge asked me several questions about my social life: if I ever went out recreationally, if I went to church, had friends I went out with, if I had kids, etc. It made me feel like a looser, since each question was no, but it was the truth and I think it shows my disability prohibits me from doing the fun things I would like to do; as well as work gainfully. Please sign my disablity petition linked to this comment; please help reform SSI/SSDI determination processes.
Is it advisable to speak to an attorney before you file for SSDI?
Mike, I don’t necessarily think that you need to speak to a lawyer prior to filing. I would suggest that you educate yourself about the definitions of disability and the process. If, however, there is other insurance involved (i.e. long term disability, workers comp., etc.) then I would speak to counsel before filing. Most Social Security lawyers will be happy to speak with you at no cost for a few minutes – so if you feel more comfortable talking to a lawyer first, by all means, do so.
I had my disability hearing JANUARY 2012 im now waiting on a decision my attorney says it takes 4 to 6 weeks for the decision to come in the mail he said i stated good facts and that we had plenty of evidence to prove im disabled the VE said i would not be able to hold a job and if i did i would end up loseing it my question is i had some disadvantages like i have worked 3 jobs since i applied for disability and im 46 yrs of age and i recieved unemployment some of that time does that hurt me?