What Judges Look for in SSD Appeals and Hearings and How to Present a Strong Case

An SSDI or SSI hearing is often the first time an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) reviews the full record and asks questions directly. For many claimants, it is also the stage where the case becomes more structured around evidence, vocational rules, and how limitations affect the ability to work.

Judges do not decide cases based on sympathy. They decide cases based on whether the evidence meets Social Security’s standards, including the ability to perform work on a “regular and continuing basis,” and whether vocational rules support a finding of disability.

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1) Whether Your Limitations Prevent Full-Time Work on a Regular Schedule

A central concept in Social Security cases is whether someone can sustain work in an ordinary work setting. SSA’s RFC ruling defines “regular and continuing basis” as 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, or an equivalent work schedule. 

In practical terms, judges often focus on whether your symptoms allow you to meet basic workplace expectations, such as:

• Attendance and reliability
• Pace and persistence
• The need for unscheduled breaks or rest
• The ability to stay on task consistently

You do not have to be bedridden. The question is whether the record supports that you cannot sustain competitive work on a regular schedule.

2) Whether the Medical Record Supports the Limitations You Describe

Your testimony matters, but it usually must fit the medical and other evidence in the file. Social Security’s symptom evaluation policy focuses on the intensity and persistence of symptoms and how symptoms limit work-related functioning. 

Judges tend to look for support such as:

• Consistent treatment notes over time
• Specialist records when relevant
• Testing and findings where available
• Documented treatment attempts and response to treatment

A common problem is not that someone is exaggerating. It is that the record does not document work-related limitations clearly enough for the judge to rely on them. 

3) Consistency Across Forms, Records, and Testimony

SSA’s policies allow decision-makers to consider whether statements about symptoms and limitations fit with the overall evidence. 

Judges may compare:

• What you testify to at the hearing
• What you reported on SSA forms
• What medical notes reflect over time
• What daily activity reports suggest

This is not about “perfect” wording. It is about whether the overall story makes sense, and whether differences are explainable (for example, symptoms that vary day to day). 

4) Work History, Age Categories, and Whether Skills Transfer

At the stage where SSA evaluates whether other work exists, vocational factors matter. SSA’s age regulation recognizes that at advanced age (55 or older), age significantly affects the ability to adjust to other work, with special rules for people closely approaching retirement age (60 or older). 

For many claimants, the case turns on issues like:

• The physical demands of past work
• Whether past work was skilled or unskilled
• Whether skills truly transfer to other work
• Whether the Medical-Vocational Guidelines apply

Grid rules can be favorable in the right case, but they still depend on the RFC level, age category, education, and vocational profile.

You don’t have to face an ALJ hearing alone.  Call Carmichael Law Group today at (888) 687-6022.