THE VOCATIONAL 'EXPERT' AT YOUR DISABILITY HEARING
Why Vocational 'Experts' at Your Disability Hearing Are a Farce. When you walk into a Social Security disability hearing, there is nearly always a vocational witness called by Social Security to give testimony. These vocational 'experts' are supposed to be neutral, even though they are paid by Social Security. (It's a little like a die hard Auburn fan trying to be neutral at the Alabama-Auburn game. Or an undertaker pretending to be sad at a $20,000 funeral). The judge will ask the vocational witness two types of questions: (1) to classify your past work with a skill level and an exertion level . Skill levels are unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled. Exertion levels are sedentary, light, medium, heavy and very heavy . (Exertion levels are based primarily on how much lifting, standing and walking the job involves). (2) Are there any jobs in existence in the national, regional or local economy that the claimant can still perform? (If the answer is &q