Disability Experts of Florida's Blog

Obtaining disability benefits can be very challenging. Reports show that more than 50% of disability claims are denied on the initial attempt, making the experience very frustrating for those who truly in need. Complicating matters, it’s up to the Social Security Administration (SSA) to determine eligibility for Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), not individual states. That makes the process quite lengthy; generally about 400 days, according to the SSA.

In our recent blog 8 Tips to Winning Your Social Security Disability Case, we said that honesty is always the best policy. We also recommended that you don’t overshare, e.g. bringing up a criminal record or a history of drug abuse if you’re not asked about it. If you are asked, it’s not grounds for dismissal and it’s likely they will find out about it anyhow, so stick to the truth. That said, here are five statements that are probably going to hurt you when you go before the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).

You’ve successfully applied for social security disability benefits, and you’re finally getting your day in court. For many people, the idea of a disability hearing can be intimidating, which can lead bad decision-making when going in front of the judge.