Is an Employer’s Statement a Good Idea for Your Social Security Disability Hearing?

A statement from your doctor or another medical professional is extremely important to submit during your Social Security disability benefits hearing. However, submitting a statement (or several statements) from a former employer can also help add credibility to your case and help the judge understand the extent of your disability and why your health condition prevents you from continuing your job.

Why Employer Statements Are Important

When you describe how you feel at work, what job requirements cause you pain, or why you don’t think you can continue to work, the administrative law judge presiding over your hearing has to take you at your word.

An employer’s statement that verifies that you are no longer able to work safely or without significant pain can substantiate your testimony and let the administrative law judge know that you are telling the truth. More specifically, a former employer, manager, or boss can describe to the judge in detail the requirements of your job and how someone in your condition would struggle with those requirements.

Additionally, a statement from a former employer can also help humanize your story. Administrative law judges hear hundreds of cases a year. By learning more about your day-to-day life, what kind of worker you were before your condition was diagnosed, and how you feel now, the administrative law judge hearing your case will get the complete picture of your story and a better understanding of the circumstances that brought you to the hearing. A non-medical statement from an employer is a great way to illustrate that picture.

Want More Tips for a Successful Social Security Disability Hearing?

Your employer’s statement may be an important part of your Social Security disability hearing, but it alone will not determine your Social Security disability eligibility. For more information about how to build a strong Social Security disability case and about how to get the benefits you deserve, please read our FREE report, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know, or start a live chat with us at your convenience.

by Paul B. Burkhalter
Managing Partner of Morgan & Weisbrod, Board Certified in Social Security Disability Law.

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