Aurora SSDI Hearing
The application process for SSDI benefits is long and complicated. In many cases, applicants must endure months or even years of medical treatment, interviews, and requests for information that seem to go nowhere.
After filing an initial application and enduring two appeals, you may finally have the chance for an Aurora SSDI hearing. At these hearings, you and your attorney may have the opportunity to present your case to an administrative law judge who will decide whether you qualify for benefits.
A Social Security attorney could help you submit the necessary paperwork for the hearing, prepare a memorandum that outlines the extent of your disability, and appear with you in person to help present your case before the judge.
When Can You Request an SSDI Hearing?
An Aurora SSDI hearing is the culmination of many applicants’ cases. However, all applicants must exhaust an extensive appeals process of paperwork and interviews to reach this point.
With that in mind, an applicant must first complete an initial application online, through the mail, or in person. The Social Security Administration (SSA) unfortunately denies most of these applications, typically because the stated medical condition does not meet their narrow definition of a “disabling” condition.
After an initial rejection, an SSDI applicant can file an initial appeal, which often faces denial for the same reasons. It is only after receiving two denials that a person may request a judge’s hearing. All the while, the SSA may require updated functionality reports, so any applicant actively engaged in the appeals process should continue medical treatment as usual.
What to Expect at an SSDI Hearing
An SSDI hearing is a formal legal proceeding, but it is unlikely to take place in a large Aurora courthouse. Many of the hearing offices are located in office parks, and the location itself may appear to resemble a conference room. Usually, the only people present are the judge, an employee who assists in the recording of the proceeding, and the claimant, as well as the claimant’s attorney should they elect to retain one.
Every judge has their process for conducting hearings. However, the overall goal in Aurora SSDI hearings is for the judge to examine the effect of a claimant’s medical condition on their ability to work. Common questions the judge may ask a claimant include:
- What is your day-to-day routine?
- Why did you stop working?
- What treatment options have you taken?
- How does your condition affect your ability to work?
When the judge concludes their questioning, the claimant has the chance to speak. Their lawyer could help guide the conversation toward topics that may improve their case, but an applicant’s legal counsel cannot testify on their behalf.
In total, most hearings last about one hour. Once the hearing is concluded, the judge should author a decision, which may take a few weeks to arrive. Ideally, this decision will indicate that the judge believes that a claimant was disabled from the date of their application. This can result in the payment of future benefits as well as retroactive benefits from the date of application.
An Attorney Could Provide Guidance through an SSDI Hearing in Aurora
It can often take as long as two years from the filing of an initial application for an Aurora SSDI hearing to take place. However, this is likely your best chance to obtain benefits.
At a hearing, you may have the opportunity to speak directly to a human being and explain why your medical conditions keep you from working. Unfortunately, to get to this point, you must file no fewer than three applications and appeals, continue with all medical treatment, and provide all other information requested by Social Security.
An Aurora SSDI hearing could provide you with the benefits you need, and a knowledgeable Social Security attorney could help explain the process, file the necessary paperwork, and attend a hearing with you to help you present your case persuasively and comprehensively. Call our firm today to schedule a consultation.