What happens if a career expert says you can still work, even if you can't? This testimony can be a significant weight at an SSDI hearing and can damage your chances of endorsement. Today, I will break down how career experts affect your SSDI listening cases and why their roles deserve your full attention. I will cover how your work history is classified, what residual functional abilities mean, and how to challenge outdated work definitions. Learn more in this video.
If you are one of many people applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you may hear how difficult it is to get approval. Part of the hearing process often catches people off guard and is the role of a career expert (VE). These experts don't work for you. They also work for judges. However, their opinions can be taken a lot of attention in terms of whether your disability claims are approved.
Career experts play a vital role when it comes to Social Security Disability (SSDI) hearings. These people exist in almost every hearing I attend, and their commitment affects the outcome of the case. They are often referred to as professional witnesses, and they provide testimony on whether a person can still perform past work or any other work based on current limitations. Understanding how they operate and answer-based foundations can have a significant impact on how cases are handled.
What is a professional expert?
A career expert is someone brought by the Social Security to prove what you can still do (if any) in accordance with current restrictions.
Their job is to give such opinions:
“Can this person still do the work they did in the past?”
“Can they do anything through their current limitations?”
The answer is based on your medical restrictions, the type of work you have done before and how these two things match.
What do professional experts do at SSDI hearings?
The occupational experts (VE) at the SSDI hearing provided testimony on whether the claimant could still perform his previous work or any other work in accordance with medical restrictions. VE used the career title dictionary to conduct past works and answered hypothetical questions from judges or attorneys about the claimant's ability to work. Their opinions play a key role in approving or rejecting disability benefits.
How career experts classify your past work (and why it matters)
VE uses a government database called the Dictionary of Career Titles (DOT) to classify your past work. This includes:
•Your work needs (sitting, light, medium, heavy)
•Skill level and how long does it take to study (called SVP level)
But that point has not been updated for decades. Many job descriptions are disconnected from today’s work environment. This means that VE will usually make judgments on the phone or update content instantly, which may be inaccurate. If your attorney fails to capture these contradictions, your hearing results may be unfairly affected.
New SSDI Rules for 2025: Why They Actually Help You
One of the first things a career expert does is to classify your past related work. As of 2025, the definition of related work in the past has changed. Now, instead of looking back on the past 15 years, they only consider full-time jobs for the past five years. This shorter time frame is actually beneficial to the claimant because it limits the scope of work that can be considered.
What is Residual Functional Capability (RFC) and how does it work?
After classifying work history, career experts will answer questions about your remaining functional abilities. This is a legal term that refers to the most work you can still perform. These limitations are described through a series of assumptions raised by a judge or your attorney.
For example, they might ask if the experts can only use their hands occasionally, cannot bend or kneel, need regular breaks, and can still perform previous work or do any other work. Given the limitations, age, and any transferable skills in your past work, the expert’s answers help determine if you can still do the job.
Professional experts have an influence in hearings, so it is crucial to have a lawyer who knows how to effectively question their testimony. Their statements can support or harm your claim.
This is why it is crucial to have a lawyer who knows how to do it:
• Accurately structure these assumptions
• Cross-examine professional experts
•Arguing about when to work is unrealistic
It's not something you want to be by chance that you know how to explain the SVP level, the physical needs, and how your age factor enters the equation. A knowledgeable lawyer can ensure that the response of a professional expert is accurate and fair.
Why You Shouldn't Listen to a Hearing Alone
If you already feel overwhelmed, you are not alone. SSDI hearings are complicated, and testimony from professional experts can easily get rid of decisions – unless someone is there to stand up for you.
That's what we do every day in the good legal group.
•We know how to challenge outdated job descriptions.
•We understand how to reveal gaps in career testimony.
•We strive for real people, not statistics.
You should be heard. You should be valued. And, you should get a legal team that knows how to achieve this.
✅ Quick action steps
• Collect work lists for the past 5 years
• Keep your medical access history and any work restrictions from your doctor
• Avoid discussing your case with anyone at a hearing, except your attorney
• Choose a law firm that is experienced in challenging professional testimony
💬 Get help today
If you are rejected by SSDI or are preparing for listening – please do not go alone.
📞Call us (800) 419-7606
🌐 or visit thegoodlawgroup.com to arrange your free consultation.
You only pay if we win your case. Let us fight for the benefits you have gained.
