Deciding who should receive benefits and who shouldn’t is an extremely difficult job for the Social Security Administration. There are countless applicants in need of help, but the pot simply isn’t large enough to give everyone financial support.
This means that a lot of work has to be done to make sure that those who receive disability benefits are actually in need of it, with professionals like vocational experts leading the way.
What Is A Vocational Expert?
As their name suggests, a vocational expert is someone who has a deep understanding of the current working world. They will know which jobs exist on the market, the entry requirements for different fields, and will have a good idea of what could stop someone from being able to do work in their field. All of this knowledge is used when claimants are assessed by the SSA for disability benefits.
How Can A Vocational Expert Impact A Disability Claim?
In the case of a regular disability claim, a vocational expert will be brought into a hearing to ask you a range of questions about your past work. They will use this to determine the skills you have and the type of work you could do if you weren’t disabled, followed by checking to see if any of these jobs could be done in your current condition.
Once they have had the chance to assess your working history and medical records, the vocational expert will be able to say whether or not they believe you are fit for work. The judge listening to your hearing will use the information the vocational specialist gives them to make the final decision about your benefits.
In some cases, people don’t win their first disability claim hearing. You will have the chance to appeal, but will still have to deal with a vocational expert working to prove that you are fit for work. While experts like this want to help people, they also have to be quite strict, and this means that you may have to work hard to prove that you can’t work.
Can You Use Your Own Vocational Expert?
The SSA allows you to bring your own vocational expert to your disability hearing. This can be a great idea when you’re not sure how to talk in this sort of environment, giving you the chance to have someone else argue that you can’t work. Professionals like this will be able to give you a good idea as to whether or not you will win your case before you go to your hearing.
Alongside a vocational expert, it can also be a good idea to have a social security attorney to help you when you’re trying to work through a disability claim. A legal professional like this will be able to help you to jump through all of the hoops you encounter, while also providing you with invaluable support and advice along the way.