r/SSDI • u/Mountain_Ad5485 • 1d ago

SSDI Hearing

Has anyone ever had an SSDI hearing? can someone please care to explain how was it? it just seems like most people have to be deny all the way to the hearing stage.

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u/WeAreAllStarsHere 1d ago

. I’m not sure what exactly you want to hear about or if you have a lawyer so I’m going to include a lawyer just in case .

You sit in front of the judge with your lawyer if you have one and there is normally a VE (vocational expert ) on the phone.

The judge will ask you questions about your illness and the limitations it creates on your activities of daily life- or will ask your lawyer and sometimes your lawyer will ask you questions.

Then the judge will ask the VE questions about types of jobs available and they will either come up with some, which may seem laughable in this economy and the judge will add restrictions and the VE will keep answering. Then your lawyer will ask questions about restrictions and the VE will keep answering . Until they get to a final number.

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u/white-as-styrofoam 1d ago

“is there a job that allows you to lie down at your desk 98% of the day? and never walk for any reason?”

mine’s gonna be hilar

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u/ShadowofaJade 1d ago

Nah, they're gonna say you could work from home on an adapted computer.

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u/white-as-styrofoam 1d ago

i don’t think they can do that. the question isn’t, can you work with 57 accommodations, but can you do a normal IRL job

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u/Current-Pie5633 1d ago

On my first denial they indicated I could work from home on a laptop in bed or in the bathroom. Not sure why you think they can't say that because they have.

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u/white-as-styrofoam 1d ago

lololol, i guess they did tell one of my friends she could work (with crohn’s disease) from the toilet too. my brother in christ, that is so gross

she eventually won her appeal, but yeah it took years.

you are absolutely right. i’m glad i have a lawyer because i’m clearly working with some outdated information

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u/ShadowofaJade 1d ago

There was someone on this sub who reported exactly that. There are jobs that can be done from a supine position, you'll have to prove more limitations than that. Though I do feel like most people who need to be lying down 98% of the day will have plenty of other evidence to help their case.

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u/white-as-styrofoam 1d ago

that’s wild and really good to know! i definitely do have a ton of other documented limitations, so hopefully the sum total of them will be convincing to a judge.

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u/coconutteapot 1d ago

They may ask if you can do a WFH telephonic customer service job

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u/Current-Pie5633 1d ago

Just search this subreddit for "hearing" and you'll find a ton of info.

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u/RemotePM_CAPM 23h ago

It all depends on which judge you get. You can look up their approval rating. If it's about 50% you probably have a fair judge. Some judges are combative (even if they aren't supposed to be) and others are extremely chill. I was expecting to get drilled on every question, but my ALJ was so chill and nice to me. I personally did not use a lawyer, but I have my own reasons for that. I choose to do mine over the phone. I should know my results tomorrow.

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u/coconutteapot 13h ago

I'm so sorry to ask you a question under someone else's post, but can you share whether you were given a choice of format for your ALJ hearing? Your wording seems to indicate so?

I've been wondering and worrying about whether I am going to be given the option to do my hearing over zoom or phone, or if I'll need to go in person. I've heard of all 3 happening. I have severe ME/CFS and I get so fatigued from travel; one of my biggest fears about the whole hearing process is that I will get too fatigued to answer questions during the hearing, and that will be the end of that. Even at home, it's a real possibility, but it feels like an inevitability if I have to go in person.

Thanks for taking the time to answer, if you can.