What NOT To Say in Your Disability Hearing

If you are awaiting a hearing in your Social Security disability case, here are the three things that you don’t want to say during that hearing.

This post discusses three things that you don’t want to say in your disability hearing. First, you don’t want to say, “I can’t work because no one will hire me.” Social Security is focused on whether you’re disabled, not whether an employer will actually hire you. During the hearing, instead focus on your conditions and the limitations that you have as a result of those conditions. Tell Social Security why you can’t work, not that somebody will not hire you.

Second, you don’t want to say that “I don’t see any doctors because I don’t want to.” Social Security needs to see medical evidence of your condition and the limitations that you have. While there are sometimes valid reasons for lack of medical treatment, simply not wanting to go to the doctor is often not considered a valid reason. Talk to your attorney if you have a legitimate or a valid reason regarding why you might not have a whole lot of medical treatment supporting your claim.

Third, you don’t want to exaggerate or minimize your symptoms, limitations and conditions. Social Security will have your medical records and the judge will compare your testimony to those records to determine whether he or she considers you to be credible. If you are not considered to be credible, the judge will often try to disregard the testimony you provide and just go off of the medical records. So, it’s important to remember that the judge does have access to those medical records, and will use them to help determine your case. 

Social Security Disability Attorney

If you’re disabled and unable to work, click the scheduling link here or give us a call directly for a free consultation to see what I can do to help you.