What will be asked of me at my Social Security hearing?

During your Social Security hearing, you will be asked questions from primarily two (2) individuals: the administrative law judge (ALJ) and your attorney. The ALJ will ask initial questions to verify your identity, including your name, Social Security Number, and address. Then, some ALJs prefer to ask questions before giving your attorney the chance to ask questions, while other ALJs provide your attorney the first opportunity to question you, then the ALJ will make follow-up inquiries. Regardless of who asks questions first, the same information is requested: How far did you go in school? Are you working right now? When did you last work? What did that job end? Were you fired because you were too sick to attend every workday? Were you laid off? What were your job duties? What other jobs have  you had? Then, you will be asked about your health issues, how those issues make you feel, and what you have done to try to get better. What doctors have you seen for your health problems? Have those doctors, and any treatment they provided, made you better at all? What is a typical day like for you? Basically, anything is fair game at your Social Security hearing. Please keep in mind that you, too, have the opportunity to ask questions. If you don’t understand something, please ask your attorney or the ALJ. It is literally your day in court and it is important for you to know what is happening with your case at your hearing.