 SSDRC What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? How do you Win Benefits under Social Security Disability or SSI? If I am determined disabled, how far back will Social Security pay benefits? How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition? What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability Benefits Common Mistakes after Receiving a Denial of Social Security Disability or SSI Benefits How to File for Disability - Tips for Filing If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare? How much does a Social Security disability attorney get paid? Social Security Disability SSI Criteria and the Evaluation Process How long does it take to be approved for SSI or Social Security disability? What do you Need to Prove to Qualify for Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability SSI and Fibromyalgia Social Security Disability SSI and Degenerative Disc Disease Can I Qualify For Disability and Receive Benefits based on Depression? Answers to questions about SSD and SSI disability What Disabilities Qualify for SSI and Social Security Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability Status Social Security Disability Tips — how a claim gets worked on Social Security Disability, SSI Disability - Terms, Definitions, Concepts |
Does your chance of winning disability benefits at a hearing depend on the judge you get?How to prove you are disabled and win disability benefits There is no doubt that the outcome of a disability hearing can depend on the specific administrative law judge that you get. Disability attorneys and non-attorney disability representatives are usually well aware of which judges at a hearing office are more likely to pose a problem for a claimant's case. Some judges have a reputation for being tougher on children's disability claims while others are known to be less (or more) likely to approve a case that is based primarily on a certain condition, such as ADHD or fibromyalgia. Is there anything that you or your disability lawyer can do if your case is assigned to be heard by a harsh judge? In a word, no. The hearings office determines which cases go to which particular judges and there is no option for protesting the assignment of the judge. Generally, this assignment tends to "stick" through a variety of circumstances. For example, if you miss your hearing date or know in advance that the hearing date will be in conflict with your schedule (you may have a doctor's appointment or a family matter scheduled for that date), you can request rescheduling. But your case will stay with the same judge. Even if your case is denied at a disability hearing and you file the next appeal--a request for review of the administrative law judge's decision--and then your case is subsequently scheduled for a remand hearing (basically a second chance at a hearing), then you will likely have your remand hearing in front of the very same judge who previously saw you...and denied your case. Typically, the only way for a claimant to get a new judge on a social security disability or SSI case is if they actually move from state to another. A move of this distance will necessitate that the jurisdiction for a claim be changed to a new social security field office and a new hearings office. Of course, the corollary to the question with which we began is "Can your chances of winning disability benefits be improved depending on which judge you get at a hearing?". And the answer is, yes, of course. Just as some judges are known to be harder, and have a higher rate of denial, other judges have a documented higher rate of approval for the cases they decide. However, since a claimant can never predict when they file a request for a hearing whether or not they will get a sympathetic judge, the best approach to an impending hearing is preparation. Proper hearing preparation usually begins with obtaining qualified disability representation. But it also includes several other things. Continued at: Preparing for a Disability Hearing to Win Social Security or SSI Benefits 
Return to: SSDRC, or the Questions, Answers, Tips, and Advice page Topics and Questions SSD and SSI are Federal Programs The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here: Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state Special Section: Disability Lawyers and unnecessary claim denials |