What Happens At The Social Security Disability Hearing?
The social security disability hearing level is where you finally get an even chance at establishing your disability and being awarded benefits. At all of the prior determination levels – the application, the request for reconsideration – statistics show that you will probably be denied. But at the social security disability hearing, , these statistics indicate that you will have a much better chance of winning.
At the hearing, you get to talk to a judge and describe how your everyday life has been messed up by these mental or physical conditions that have affected your functional abilities, and how your limitations affect your ability to work. This is done through your testimony. The judge and your lawyer will both be allowed to ask you questions. You will get to tell your story.
You have to prepare for this moment. It is the most important part of the whole claim. Do not exaggerate your symptoms. Be completely honest. Remember that the judge has read your medical records and might know the answer to a question before you are even asked, so be careful to tell the judge what you have been telling everybody else. The judge is going to ask you about your medical problems, and she will likely ask you about the things you do every day, the places you go, and how you take care of your family. Be prepared to explain these things.
A social security disability hearing is a legal proceeding. The judge is a real judge. It’s a big day for you. You have the right to have an attorney right there with you.