SSD – Disability Hearings

The Social Security Administration has announced that it will be closing its five National Hearing Centers, effective May 18. The hearing centers were opened in 2007 to slightly speed up the hearing process. At the time, hearings were held at field offices and...

It only happens in a small percentage of hearings, but my favorites are of course the ones where the judge says my client is going to be awarded disability benefits. It’s the best case scenario in a long and difficult process, and I wish it meant that my clients could...

Despite the best efforts of the Social Security Administration, it still takes a long time to get a hearing in front of an administrative law judge. Many of my clients wait more than two years from starting an application to get to that point. So, they’re...

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Social Security Administration has offered claimants three options for how to appear for their disability hearings. Prior to 2020, virtually all hearings before an administrative law judge were held in-person, or at...

Many clients will tell me that they enjoy working, and they loved their last job. Some even think that they could do that previous job, it’s just that they were laid off, or the job moved. While they have medical conditions that affect their ability to work, a bigger...

In late 2024, the Social Security Administration announced a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the 2025 year of 2.5%. This means any benefits you are already receiving will be increased in your January payment. For those of you who have not had a hearing yet, it...

Many times when I call a client about an upcoming hearing, one of the first things they’ll say to me is that they have a friend or family member that they want to testify on their behalf at their hearing. And most of the time, I strongly recommend against having...

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Social Security disability hearings were held either in-person, or from an approved Social Security remote hearing location with the judge appearing by video, and the claimant and their attorney in another location. If a claimant couldn’t...

Applying for Social Security Disability benefits can be a long and challenging process. You may have requested a hearing before an administrative law judge if your initial application was denied. This hearing is a crucial opportunity to present your case and...

The best case scenario for a disability hearing is to have a fairly brief meeting with an administrative law judge before he or she says they’ve read the file, they’re convinced the claimant is disabled, and they’ll be paying out the case. It’s a successful end to...

No matter how strong a disability case looks before a hearing, for reasons that often aren’t even clear to an attorney, administrative law judges deny good cases. When this happens, the first instinct of most clients is to appeal. They feel wronged, and they want to...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Social Security Administration began allowing remote hearing options. They have opted to continue with these options for clients. You always have the option to choose to appear in person for your hearing, and we will appear in person...

First and foremost, it is important to note that it is mandatory that you appear (whether in person, by phone, or by video) for your scheduled Social Security Disability hearing. While this may seem obvious, sometimes situations can come up that are out of your...

In most cases, you will receive your Notice of Decision within 6-8 weeks of the hearing, however some Judges have a longer backlog. If all of the medical evidence is not submitted prior to the hearing, and the Administrative Law Judge has left the record open to...