Who is the Vocational Witness in My Social Security Disability Case?
Did you just receive the hearing notice in your Social Security disability case and you’re wondering who the vocational witness is that will be present at your hearing?
My name is Kaitlin Wildoner and I’m an attorney who helps disabled clients obtain their disability benefits as quickly as possible so they can focus on getting better.
In this video, we’re going to discuss who the vocational witness is that Social Security has requested testify in your upcoming disability hearing. The vocational witness is an individual who is hired by the Social Security Administration to provide impartial testimony at your hearing regarding your past relevant work and what jobs might be available to a hypothetical individual with certain physical and or mental limitations.
The vocational witness does not often ask you questions directly, but may ask clarifying questions of the judge and the judge will determine whether or not to elicit that testimony from you. The vocational witness is responsible for testifying about the skill level and the physical or mental demands of certain occupations, the characteristics of your work settings and other work settings, the existence of jobs in the national economy, and whether or not you have transferable skills that might be able to be shifted to other work.
He or she will answer questions that are posed by the administrative law judge and/or your attorney in the hearing. The questions are based on a hypothetical individual and are often based on the individual’s age, education level, work experience, and certain functional limitations. Importantly, a vocational witness does not comment on medical matters or say whether they believe you are disabled.
Thanks so much for watching. If you’re disabled and unable to work, click the scheduling link here or give us a call directly for a free consultation where we discuss your case and see what I can do to help you.
