Many individuals who attend a Social Security Disability
Insurance and/or a Supplemental Security Income hearing are nervous about
appearing before an Administrative Law Judge. Nowadays, the lion-share of our
hearings are conducted by telephone or video, but we do occasionally have
in-person hearings. Regardless of
whether your hearing is in-person or virtual, the types of questions are the
same. For many people, this is the first legal proceeding that they have ever
attended and it can be very intimidating. To help you prepare for your upcoming
hearing, we have made a list of questions that are commonly asked at your
hearing.
1.
What is your name and address?
2.
What is you date of birth?
3.
How old are you?
4.
How far did you go in school?
5.
When was the last date that you attended school?
6.
Are you in school now?
7.
Did you ever attend a trade school or have some
other type of vocational training?
8.
When did you last work?
9.
What was your last job title?
10. What were your tasks and duties at this job?
11. How much weight did you lift at this job?
12. Was it a sitting or standing job?
13. What other work have you performed in the last 15 years?
14. What is preventing you from being able to work?
15. What made you stop working on a particular date?
16. What are your symptoms?
17. What do you do to relieve your pain?
18. Are you right or left-handed?
19. Do you use contacts or glasses?
20. Can you drive a car?
21. If you can drive a car, do you have any restrictions on driving?
22. What is your level of pain on a pain scale? Zero being no pain
and ten being pain severe enough to force you go to the emergency room.
23. What types of treatment have you tried?
24. Have you had any surgeries?
25. Have you had any hospitalizations?
26. What were your hospitalizations for?
27. Do you have any side effects from your medications?
28. Are you able to concentrate while watching a television program?
29. Are you able to read and understand a page in a book?
30. How long can you sit?
31. How long can you stand at one time?
32. How long can you walk at one time in terms of minutes or city
blocks?
33. How much weight can you lift at one time in terms of pounds?
34. Do you require an assistive device to help you walk or stand?
Which device?
35. Where do you live?
36. Who do you live with?
37. What type of dwelling do you live in?
38. Does your home have any stairs?
39. Who does the chores in your household?
40. Who does the cleaning?
41. Who does the cooking?
42. Who does the grocery shopping?
43. Who does the laundry?
44. Do you have any children? Who cares for them?
45. Have you traveled at all since you applied for disability?
Where?
46. Why can’t you perform a sit-down job?
47. Why can’t you perform a job that allows you to sit and stand at
will?
48. Have you ever abused alcohol or drugs?
49. What is your date of sobriety (if the claimant is in a recovery program)?
50. How have you been supporting yourself since you stopped working?
51. Is there anything else that you would like to tell me that is
important to your claim?
While the Administrative Law Judge or your attorney may ask you additional questions based on your specific disability, the above questions are representative of many of the general types of questions that you will hear at your hearing. Be open and honest when answering these questions. Listen carefully to what the Administrative Law Judge, or your attorney is asking you, so you stay on track when responding. Always answer questions succinctly.
Got a question that you need
answered? Please check out our website at www.westcoastdisability.com
. We try to provide you with valuable information on our website that may help
you navigate the Social Security Disability process. Also, feel free to shoot
me an email at megan@westcoastdisability.com or call us at (800) 459-3017 x 101.
