Why Does the ALJ Want to Know That?
ALJ wants to know
The process can get confusing. We’re here to sort it out with you. To start with, let’s look at a common question we get: Why does the ALJ want to know that?
- Chores
- Pets
- Social activities
- Grocery shopping
- Who you live with
- Drugs/etc
Why Did the ALJ Ask Me That?
Some questions in your Social Security disability judge make sense. They will often ask about your previous work, your physical limitations, and why you feel you can’t work.
But your attorney and the judge will ask other questions about your personal life, such as your social activities and the chores you do around the house. Why do they ask that?
The short answer is that the judge does not have current, full-time job performance to evaluate. He or she often determine whether you can perform a job using other clues about your abilities from your life. Here are a few examples.
Household Chores
The household tasks you can and can’t do may be very informative for a Social Security judge. If you tell the judge you can’t stand for long periods, but that you have no problem vacuuming the house, the judge may see that as evidence that you are more able.
Pets
You may no think that having a pet makes a big difference to your disability claim. However, if your attorney asks you about it there’s a good reason. You may be able to let your dog out, but not be able to take her for a walk. You may be able to feed your cat, but not clean a litter box. These can illustrate your condition better than you think.
Living Arrangements
Do you live with a partner who assists you? Or maybe you have children or elders living with you that you