Social Security Disability Law: News and Facts

When your completing your work history report or discuss your work history at your hearing, don't use a job title for your past position in a way that suggests you had more responsibility than you did, and don't exaggerate your job functions. For example, only use the term "manager" if you supervised other employees. The reason this is important is because the more skilled your past work (managing employees is considered skilled), the easier it is for the VE to say there are jobs you are able to do. In other words, the more skills you have, the more difficult it can be to rule out other jobs. This is why it's important to be careful when you answer the judge's questions about your past jobs. Also, do not minimize how much weight you lifted or how long you stood or walked while you did the job. Make your job hard enough that your impairments prevent you from being able to do your past work in the last 15 years.  If you need help applying for Social Security Dis...

A vocational expert (VE) is an expert witness called to testify at your disability hearing. A VE is present at about 85% of disability hearings. Unfortunately you and your attorney do not get to chose the vocational expert. Each Social Security Administration Regional Office maintains a roster of VEs who have agreed to provide opinion testimony. The VE expert is an authority on vocational rehabilitation, vocational and earning capacity, lost earnings, cost of replacement labor and lost ability/time in performing household services. Social Security judges mainly call a vocational expert to testify regarding vocational rehabilitation. This is because if you do not meet a disability listing, then the Social Security Administration (SSA) must determine whether you can do your past work. If not, then they will consider whether there are any other types of jobs you can do in the national economy. This is all evaluated by taking into consideration your functional limitations, both physical an...