The most common question my clients ask before their hearing is “who is the Vocational Expert listed on my hearing notice?.”
When I prepare my clients for hearing, I explain the VE’s role and what to expect. There are 5 things to know about Vocational Experts at Social Security Disability Hearings.
Here are 5 things to know about the VE at your Social Security Disability hearing:
- First, the Judge will ask the VE to classify the past relevant work that you have done in the past 15 years according to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. If you have had more than one job in the last 15 years, the VE will list a DOT title and code for each of the jobs you’ve had.
- Next, the Judge will next give the VE a hypothetical situation. They will say imagine “a person with the claimant’s age, education and past relevant work and further consider that they have the following Residual Functional Capacity,” then the Judge will give some limitations like “sit 6 hours, stand 2 hours, lift nothing over 20 pounds.”
- If the VE says you can do your past work even with the limitations the Judge gave, you have likely lost your case. At this point, having a lawyer matters. Your lawyer can cross examine the VE to try and get a better answer.
- The VE may say that you you cannot do your past work. If this happens, the Judge will ask if there are any other jobs in the national economy that you are able to do. For most people, the standard is not just work you’ve done in the past, it is any work available in the national economy.
- The VE’s testimony is a crucial part of a judge’s decision in almost all Social Security hearings. Often, claimants are at a disadvantage if you do not have an attorney who can cross examine the VE.
How Can An Attorney Help with the Vocational Expert at Hearing?
After a hearing, I call my clients to talk about how it went. Many times, my clients do not understand what happened during the Vocational Expert’s testimony. I spend time explaining this part in detail, and help my clients understand how the VE’s testimony affected their case.
As a Social Security Disability hearing attorney, I spend significant time analyzing the vocational aspects of my client’s cases. This allows me to anticipate issues that may arise and to prepare and develop evidence accordingly. I also prepare to cross-examine the VE, which is an important part of my job.
Contact me today to learn how I can help!
