Testifying About Your Work Experience at an Administrative Hearing

In a Social Security disability hearing, the Administrative Law Judge, ALJ, or your Ocala disability lawyer will ask you questions related to your past work experience to determine what kind of work you used to perform and whether you are still capable of performing it. Generally, the SSA considers “past relevant work” to be substantial gainful activity within the last 15 years. You can expect the ALJ and your attorney to ask you the same questions for each job that you have held within the last 15 years.

First, an ALJ or your Ocala disability lawyer will question you about the job’s background information. For example, it is important to know the name of the job, the employer and how long you were employed. The ALJ is likely to question you regarding the type of duties you performed while on the job, and whether the employment was full time. Next, an ALJ will want to get an idea about how much you earned at the job and why you stopped working for the employer. Your attorney or the ALJ may question you about whether the physical or mental impairment at issue in your disability claim affected your ability to perform the job.

Next, the ALJ or your attorney will question you about the level of exertion you engaged in while performing the job. For example, the ALJ may ask you whether you carried a significant amount of weight regularly and how far you carried any heavy objects. In addition, it may be relevant to establish how long you stood on your feet each day and whether you were able to sit and take breaks as needed.

Finally, an ALJ may inquire as to the level of skill required to work on the job. For example, the ALJ may ask you to describe any technical knowledge used while employed and whether you regularly exercised independent judgment.

Ocala disability lawyer CJ Henry can help you prepare to testify at your hearing.  Call today for a free consultation.