Disability Experts of Florida's Blog

Your social security disability benefits claim was denied, so you requested a hearing and you’re finally getting your day in court. While this is a great opportunity to finally be heard in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), for many people, the idea of a disability hearing can be intimidating which can lead to bad decision-making. But with proper preparation, the process doesn't have to be frightening and you can come out a winner.

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).