After eighteen months or more of waiting, the day finally arrives. You make your way down to the hearing office, pass through security (don’t forget your ID), and find the waiting room. When your turn finally arrives, you will have sixty minutes to present your case.

The first portion of that hour will be the judge introducing herself, the court reporter, the vocational expert, and any other expert who may testify, outlining the issues, going over the procedural history, and swearing you in.

Once the evidence portion of the hearing begins, the judge usually asks you some very basic questions about yourself, your medical history, work history, and your current status. Different judges handle the hearing differently. Some judges ask a lot of questions and allow for a little follow up once they are done. Other judges want the lawyer or claimant to take the lead and present the case, highlighting whatever facts they deem important. In my experience, the claimant’s testimony is usually around thirty minutes, which is a very short amount of time to convince a judge that lifetime benefits should be awarded.

Once the claimant is approved, benefits usually start the following month. Any back pay awarded will come a few months after that. The claimant has the option of registering for direct deposit, which in my experience expedites the payment time frame. If you qualify for benefits under Title XVI (need based, as opposed to having paid in enough quarters under Title II) there will also be an interview to make sure you do not have too many assets or the household income is not too great.

Although hiring a lawyer will generally not speed up this process, a claimant may want to consider that having representation will help maximize the chances of success. After such a long wait for a short hearing, wouldn’t it be best to have an experienced professional sitting next to you to help you tell your story?