Testifying About Your Education at Your Disability Hearing

If the Social Security Administration, or SSA, has denied your application for Social Security disability benefits, you can appeal the SSA’s decision by appearing at an Administrative Hearing. An Administrative Hearing is relatively informal, and only relevant parties to your case will be present. For example, your Ocala disability lawyer will be present in addition to any witnesses that you wish to testify on your behalf.

During an Administrative Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, or ALJ, the ALJ will ask you questions regarding your condition and background to assess your working abilities. In addition, your Ocala disability lawyer will question you to provide evidence regarding your medical condition. You will be under oath during the disability hearing and must answer all questions truthfully and completely.

For example, the ALJ will ask you to provide your name, Social Security number and current address. You will answer questions regarding your date of birth and the age when you developed a disability. In addition, the ALJ or your attorney may ask you whether you completed high school or obtained a G.E.D. Next, the ALJ or your attorney may ask you about any vocational training or on-the-job training that you have received.

If you are not fluent in English, the ALJ may pose questions regarding where you were born and what languages you speak. In addition, it may be important for an ALJ to know whether you can read and write in another language and in which county you received your education.

Depending on your educational background, you may have problems reading. If this is the case, the ALJ or your attorney will ask about your level of reading comprehension. For example, your attorney may ask whether you are able to read and understand a newspaper. In addition, it may be important to establish whether you have basic math skills. The ALJ or your Ocala disability lawyer asks these questions to give the ALJ a better picture of your abilities and limitations to determine whether you are eligible to receive disability benefits.

For more information about the types of questions you may be asked at a hearing and help with your appeal, contact Ocala disability attorney Claudeth Henry.