From medical examinations to filling out complex paperwork, it is easy to feel lost with all the steps that must be completed correctly before you can secure your SSDI or SSI benefits. To make matters worse, information online is not always up to date or from reputable sources with your best interest in mind. As a team of Social Security disability lawyers, we at Jan Dils understand this struggle first hand and are here to clarify some of your questions surrounding Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) hearings before an administrative law judge.
SSDI and SSI hearings are the third step in the disability claims appeals process. For this to occur, both your initial application and reconsideration request must have been denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA). During this stage, you will appear before an administrative law judge for a hearing to verify your medical condition in order to determine if you qualify for benefits.
By far, one of the most important facts to keep in mind as you prepare for your hearing is that you cannot miss it. Missing your hearing will delay the process even further, and may even jeopardize your ability to secure your benefits.
If you do need to cancel your hearing, you must notify the SSA within 30 days of receiving your notice and no later than 5 days before the date of your hearing. Additionally, if you cannot attend your hearing, you will be expected to provide documentation as to why you will not be able to attend. Should you miss the deadline for requesting a change to your hearing date, your administrative law judge is permitted to decide if your reason for missing your deadline will be accepted.
While your hearing will be informal, oftentimes in a conference room rather than a courtroom, there is a general order to the hearing that you can expect. Your hearing will likely begin with your administrative law judge explaining the core issues in your case. Once they have established the issues, they may question you about your disability before moving on to any witnesses you brought to the hearing, such as medical or vocational experts. Both you and your witnesses will testify under oath, and your attorney, if you brought one, may ask questions of the witnesses, or to the judge, on your behalf. The judge will then consider your application.
Although a Social Security benefits hearing before an administrative law judge generally follows the same structure, they can be unpredictable, especially if you are going through the process alone. The good news is, you can work with a legal professional. If you or your loved one is worried about their hearing, contact the experienced team at Jan Dils Attorneys at Law today to get the assistance you deserve. We are the largest female-founded law firm in the country and we devote ourselves to helping clients achieve the benefits they deserve.
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Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law
