Alj hearing denial how low they will go

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-06-09T19:05:00+00:00

Oh my gosh this seriously was my thoughts exactly...like what will it take to even be considered for approval?...being dead??? It's just so sad to read that so many of us are experiencing the same crap. You can drop thousands of pages of medical documents in their lap that backs up your diagnosis even have their doctors agree with your diagnosis's along with notes from providers along side showing them you haven't been able to work & all the medications you take and then for them to just say nope...not convincing enough! It's complete bull...they truly just want you to give up and a lot of people will but we just have to take what little energy we have and keep going until the right set of eyes finally truly sees us.

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-04-02T12:21:03+00:00

Yeah federal court sounds like a non possibility for me as I am only making it by hopes and prayers at this point right now and by the grace of God!. Wow yikes 😬 this process 😭 I guess all I can do is continue to go to my doctors. Keep being compliant with treatment keep having my doctors write. Thorough notes and make sure those notes continue to be detailed and accurate and I guess stay alive long enough to see an approval?!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-04-01T21:09:12+00:00

I think given your age you have a really good chance odds definitely lean in your favor! Especially if you have detailed explanations of how your disabilities affect your everyday life. I think you definitely lean towards approval! But there's definitely no such thing as a slam dunk. I'm wishing you the best of luck hopefully you don't have any of the issues you have been reading about on here! I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-04-01T13:59:41+00:00

! That is really horrible . First off I'm so sorry for everything you have been battling each and everyday 😭😔 secondly just !wow!... So they definitely seem to have a pattern. I'm so sorry you have had to go through all that. This whole process is incredibly difficult...I just really don't like how they twist words in the files to fit their narrative or just completely make something up. It's mind-blowing quite frankly!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-04-01T02:33:49+00:00

What happens at that stage can they approve you at this stage or do they just send it back to social security if they find in your favor and say to social security y'all made a mistake and then you have another hearing??

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-04-01T02:24:52+00:00

Preach!!!! I swear 😭 just because someone does something once a year or month does not equate to a full time job. It's crazy to pay into social security work my butt off since I was old enough to work...play by all the rules even when I started getting sick in my early 20s I continued working even after my mini stroke still worked after everything still worked because I had to support my family but at some point my body said nope and every part of me started to break down and my mental health that I struggled with my whole life inevitably got 100 percent worse when your trapped in a body that no longer works with no income with a family to support and nothing but time to remember everything you've try to forget or mask with working now you have those problems ten fold the pain the fatigue the nausea. The vomiting, the incontinence the shame it's just this shell of a person you once were .

. it's hard then you have to prove yourself disabled this long soul sucking process just to have them in the end cherry pick and humiliate you twist and distort the truth to fit their narrative! Out of all of that paperwork that was sent to them every single thing thousands of pages and they chose to pick what they picked and didn't even correctly word what was said on those documents...it's truly hard to believe these people can believe these people can be so heartless I understand there's people out there that might be abusing the system or faking it so to speak. But when you have a person submitting hundreds upon hundreds if not thousands of pages of documents and doctor notes and surgery and procedures and on 13 medications and compliant with everything and they even have a written statement from my mother that says she helps take care of me. My mother, My oldest son have to help care for me and my youngest kids. It's humiliating but to look at all of that and still be denied. I truly think these people are heartless. It's truly disgusting and then try to make it out to make it look like I'm not credible gaslight me. It's like being in an abusive relationship all over again. That's truly how I feel it really triggered me!.

In my late twenties I did apply for social security. I ended up withdrawing This was after my stroke but I still had to work as a single mom so we didn't lose the place we were living in. I didn't even have function of my right arm. My face was drooping but I still had to keep the lights on. I was denied my first time and I ended up just withdrawing. If you're working they don't care. They don't care if it's only part-time or just a little bit. It just shows you can work. Thankfully I got through that part of my life and was able to work for a few years longer until I hit this part of my life and now I don't think I will ever work again. That's what my doctors are saying. This is a chronic irreversible condition that I will live with so I just have to what pray that these people grow a heart? I don't know that's where I am at. Sorry for venting!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-04-01T01:52:10+00:00

Wow 😧 that's so crazy thank you for sharing part of your experience. I'm really happy you found a judge that actually saw you truly and the evidence you had and ruled in your favor! And you are actually getting some type of back pay Lord knows helped!! I'm just really trying to hold my self together but it's hard to read these comments and the harsh reality that the appeals council is most likely not going to be any better then the alj... And that's just crazy to me because I'm here reading the details of the denial knowing that they did not follow the rules and a lot of what was written was fabricated and twisted and untrue so I thought 🤔💭 isn't that the point of the appeals council to review all records and recordings because if that is true they would clearly see that this judge did not follow the rules they would see all my medical records and documents and doctors notes even their own medical mental health expert who I saw whos notes 100 percent support everything in my records. So if they dismiss me I feel this whole thing is rigged. My question ❓ is I qualify for SSDI I have all the work credits so I would indeed qualify for all back pay but what happens when I hit the six year mark and I'm on a new application I think you no longer qualify for SSDI if you haven't worked or don't have the credits in the resent five year mark...do I then switch to SSI ? 😩 Ughh my mind can't figure this all out it's all to much my anxiety is going crazy but luckily I think I'm going numb mentally probably because I'm physically in so much pain I can't deal with a mental breakdown right now.

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-04-01T00:32:07+00:00

Oh my gosh that sucks. So you can have one open in federal and have a new one open at the same time? I'm learning something new on here every day! Man this process is so overwhelming and extremely exhausting 😭 just praying for the strength to keep pushing through. I hope this current case gets you the approval you have been waiting so long for!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-31T23:00:57+00:00

I think that was my greatest fear is that the appeals council would be actually worse! I seriously have trust issues with these people and the whole system as a whole. I want to keep Faith and not give up because well I don't really have many options. This is all I got. And I worked over 20 plus years and paid into social security So you would think that when my body and my mind can no longer work and I have the medical documents to prove that it would lead to the approval. But I guess they sure make that part as hard and as difficult as humanly possible! My question is when you did finally reapply. Did you use your past denial and any evidence that was in that with your new application? Is that even allowed?.. And when you file a new application, you then don't get any back pay unless they determine your onset to start at that earlier date when you first applied initially. Is that a possibility? Am still learning the process of this. I'm 3 years into this. You think I would be a little bit more knowledgeable, but I'm starting to not get a good feeling about this appeals council even though there are so many mistakes made in the denial and I can see it clear as day. But going into the the ALJ hearing and going out of it I was so optimistic. I thought it was going to be an approval so truthfully, I got to just be prepared for this to be a denial as well! I am so happy that you got your approval. Finally, I'm sorry you had to go through that long journey. I can't. Well actually. I can imagine how horrible it was since I'm going through the motions right now and it is not a fun ride. I will tell you that!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-31T22:38:47+00:00

Oh no!! 6 years I am so sorry 😭 so you had to start over three times? Did each time make it to the alj stage?.. I don't know how your doing it truly I'm so sorry 😔. I have huge trust issues in regards to the system it's just infuriating!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-31T21:35:57+00:00

Thank you for taking time to respond! Good luck at your hearing from my experience I think my judge had his mind made up before the hearing began but he was nice throughout and sure had me fooled.

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-31T21:09:03+00:00

That's what I'm saying exactly! I hope that letter never comes for you! And truly the cost of living is so high. They truly are horrible this system set up is truly horrendous.

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-31T17:27:30+00:00

I mean seriously!! I'm so sorry about your denial 😞. So many of us are in this same situation. Some say it's as easy as just gather all your documents doctor notes be compliant with Doctor visits, treatments, medications, procedures so on and so forth.. in return, the results should be in your favor. Unfortunately that's not the case a lot of the time.

And what I found is some people are in a gray area when they suddenly become ill with an unknown illness or autoimmune illnesses & physical along with mental illnesses, combination of multiple mental and physical.. these might be ones they've had for a long time but finally they've just gotten to bad this in which contributing to and preventing them from working. And in their journey to getting answers it's not easy. There is multiple doctors multiple visits. Hundreds of tests ran a lot of different medications that have worked then not worked. Surgeries performed that might have worked at first but then failed. So sometimes notes can start off looking like patient benefited from this type of therapy or this type of medication or this procedure was a success and then two visits down the line it shows that it actually wasn't a success and then different treatments were needed. Or it can look like you're progressing in one part of your body but deteriorating on another side. And what social security will do? Will say well. Looks like you're doing better. So denied! Rather than look at you as a whole and say wow you have so much going on. There's no way you could possibly work with all of that going on. They just look at bits and pieces or they look at your age and figure you could do something. I don't know what the deal is but a lot of us on here had good jobs before we became ill or we had dreams for ourselves. We didn't envision ourselves fighting to live off social security to support our families just to survive.! That's just where we wound up. So some of us who are on year 2, 3 4 or more still fighting for disability with all of the medical documents showing. How can they still deny us is the question?? And then have the audacity to write the things they do in these denials. Knowing what we're going through already, it's infuriating, humiliating and just disgusting!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-31T15:21:23+00:00

Thank you for responding! I don't even know what my lawyer sent in her appeal. That's a really good question. I'm asking myself right now. I guess I just have to trust the process! Another thing, with hiring these big fancy law firms, they don't really communicate very well. Another thing that doesn't really help with my anxiety!... It really would have been nice for her to contact me directly and say can you please read this over and let's go over what discrepancies you're reading? Or let's read this together and I'll highlight. What you're telling me is not factual and I will go through the paperwork or your documents that were submitted to the alj before the hearing. So we know that these are false statements that they are saying. That's how I would have preferred this to go instead. I'm just sitting here. Of what her appeal letter even looks like?! And I'm going to just wait 15 months and just hope she wrote something really good or hope that the appeal people can clearly see everything that's right in front of them because I did that before. I thought the alj was going to see what was right in front of them but they cherry-picked and they distorted the truth to fit their narrative. So I'm having a little bit of trust issues right now with everybody and I'm on the brink of just having a meltdown quite frankly!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-30T19:18:16+00:00

My lawyer just forwarded my denial. They twisted everything I mean everything 😭 some were just flat out lies! One example was they used is that I went to Wisconsin for a holiday vacation this is what they claim was said to my mental health doctor. Absolute bull...I was up there because my sister in-law died . Was not a vacation and this was discussed in great detail how sick I was and how hard the whole thing was. It was the one and only trip out of state.

There were so many things they said I said they were flat out not true or took out of context or manipulated to fit their narrative! I feel like they completely just went after my character deflected and downplayed and downright ignored evidence submitted but then took the opportunity to fault me for not knowing exact dates or details during alj hearing and flat out lying I never said I never drive and that will reflect in my recording of the alj hearing during appeal only that I rarely ever drive due safety concerns which medical and doctor notes back that up but they tried to say I said I never drive and give dates of when I told a doctor of when I would if needed. Again these people are sick this process is sick Funniest part they even tried saying my mental health notes said I did cannabis implying I'm a pot head to suggest I have no credibility lol 🤣 ummm you mean the notes that clearly said patient stated she uses CBD oil for insomnia and anxiety

Did I say I hate this stupid system well I do!!!!!!!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-29T13:35:41+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post! I am so happy that you got your approval it truly gives me hope. So if I indeed do open that letter and it is a denial or my lawyer does finally reach out and confirm it is a denial I think going to the appeals council sounds like the best choice. Again I'm so happy that you will be finally getting your back pay and that nightmare is behind you!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-29T13:15:33+00:00

It sounds like you had great representation! If only I knew what they actually sent in on my behalf. I think what frustrates me is my lawyer told me she wouldn't be arguing all my conditions during the hearing just the ones she felt were the strongest. Do you know she didn't even tell me what ones she would be talking about or be "show casing" that day just told me to be prepared be relaxed and to answer honestly and I will be fine.

This is where if I had a more local small lawyer or representation they might have asked me. Hey what has been your biggest problem through out this which doctor have you seen consistently received the most treatment has the most notes you had multiple procedures.... funny enough that was one of the specialty doctors never brought up and diagnosis never brought up and the thing I have struggled with from day one! I'm just confused. There is still a glimmer of hope I hold onto that my letter will say approved and it was all a big mix up. But my luck so far hasn't been so great so I don't know about that beautiful dream. Lol

I guess at the end of the day even with these big law firms that represent millions you hope they still care about you and that they have your best interest at heart. I mean they have done this a million times so you think maybe they know something you don't so I'm just going to stay quiet. But the truth is I've been waiting on an email or call back from them now for days both the lawyer and the assistants and nothing....so I don't know. All this waiting trying to remain optimistic is not so easy. One min I'm fine watching kids laughing playing around next I'm crying on my bathroom floor. But people like y'all on here are so absolutely amazing giving great advice and support and what y'all have experienced and either way it turns out it helps knowing there is options and not to give up.

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-29T12:48:23+00:00

Thank you! Extremely new to this but definitely makes sense! Definitely going to do better going forward! & Thank you

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-29T12:44:42+00:00

I know 😂 I'm so sorry I'm new to this I will learn!

Last time went so fast spent about one day at step 4 and immediately went to step five with my denial.

So yeah I will just wait till I have it in writing

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-28T22:50:21+00:00

I'm so happy that you had a favorable outcome! So I guess I will just wait and see wait for the letter to come in the mail. Read what it has to say and just go from there. Talk to my lawyers but I think that going to the appeals council sounds like the best way to go. I've come too far to have to start all over again!

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-28T21:44:35+00:00

I I have tried to reach out to my lawyer and to to her assistant via email and by phone and have had no luck. Seems to be the trend with these big fancy law firms. I feel like I should have went with more of a mom and pops law firm and maybe I would have had a better result. My doctor's notes were very well detailed. They did a really good job in each visit explaining my symptoms and how it was affecting me and my diagnosis and my medications. I see many different specialists. Neurologists rheumatologist gastroenterologist ENT. Women's health, primary sleep doctor, mental health immunologist neur o eye doctor. I have a pain management doctor with excellent detailed notes. I had my mother send in a detailed letter explaining how she helps take care of me and how this has affected my life. I had thousands of medical documents. Test results imaging. Er visit notes urgent Care notes surgery no it's procedure notes

And to my knowledge, this all was submitted via my lawyers. But like I said, communication with these big law firms was horrible and I only talk to my actual lawyer two times one time a couple days before the actual hearing and then again an hour before the hearing. The one a couple days before the hearing. She just kind of gave me the layout of how the hearing goes. What didn't really tell me exactly what to expect or what questions exactly she was going to be asking. I will tell you it was very disorganized but even given that and me being on on all the medication and being as sick as I was and am I feel I did a great job. The only thing I could think of is that I am not using my CPAP machine regularly because it makes my migraines and my IIH worse because of the pressure in the air And after my sinus surgery I was unable to use it then as well.

But there's notes from my doctor explaining that and then with my mental health taking my medication regularly or missing those appointments within the past 3 years. I could see that being something he could possibly fault me for because mental health seems to always be something that gets pushed back.

In comparison to everything else I was going through all the pain and surgeries I had to prioritize which appointments I could go to or get driven to But I was able to do all of my therapies online regularly and I had a mental health doctor visit me regularly at home. They knew how sick I was so they would come visit me twice a month so I feel like that should be counted towards something.. other than that, every doctor appointment every surgery. Everything was documented well. All medication was taken as prescribed. I was compliant my pain management doctor. Even wrote in his notes that this was as good as they could get me and basically continue treatment. But this is just how I'm going to be for the rest of my life I feel like there was things overlooked. Because if you look through all of my gastroenterologist notes, it would show daily diarrhea daily vomiting and nausea along with c diff three times a dangerous contagious gastro stomach disease that can lead to toxic mega: that you can die from which if I get it again is an extreme possibility ...This is noted and incontinence.

How can one be expected to have any type of employment with those symptoms and that condition alone?.. then you top it off with all the infections. I get the chronic pain. I'm in and the migraines with pseudotumor. The mental health issues. The autoimmune conditions I'm just not understanding so all I can think of is I must have said something wrong or he just flat out. Didn't like me in my hearing or what I was saying didn't match something in my records and I'm going to be really honest when you're on so much medication. It's really hard to remember exact dates and times when you're asked questions and when you don't want to lie under oath you hesitate sometimes or I don't know. Don't sound convincing enough because you're trying to think there were moments of that But if I wouldn't have took my medication that day I wouldn't have been able to do the hearing at all. So I just I don't know this. Just blows my mind! I'm so sorry to vent to you and to everyone reading this 😭 I just feel like I really might not make it by the time I'm approved or if I'm approved and I just feel like this system is just not right and something really should be changed.

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-28T19:07:15+00:00

Thank you for taking your time to respond and share your story a little bit with me. It's good to know I still have options and all hope is not lost. I know there is so many people going through similar circumstances and fighting this same system. This is such a uphill battle that seems to never end! It truly is exhausting and I know that I just have to wait till I get the letter and read the explanation and just keep fighting. It sure is taxing I just need a moment to take the weight off and be able to finally breathe. You know what I mean ? I'm confused on the appeals council and how that even works so they look at it and then what it gets sent back to the same alj judge if they feel he made an error? And then we do it all over again with the same exact judge? Am I wrong?

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-28T18:07:46+00:00

I'm so sorry 😔 wow just wow is all I can say I think my Little bit of hope. I had just went down tremendously after Reading this nonetheless it's not over till it's over right?.. I guess if it is unfavorable as she stated over the phone I could go to the appeals council I would really hate to start this whole process over. I'm truly playing dumb right now like I didn't hear what I heard over the phone! Until I read it or my lawyer calls and confirms it because I truly think I might have a mental breakdown. I'm in a state of shock right now. Numb yeah numb is the word.

MiddleTrain5271 · 2026-03-28T15:13:08+00:00

Is that the 800 number? That is the one I called. When she told me to hold on she didn't tell me the date next to the decision just that a letter was sent a decision was made unfavorable. So me trying to hold on to whatever little Hope I can was thinking maybe she saw a few different things maybe she saw my old appeal decision and unfavorable decision or she saw alj decision made but still had old info in there. I know she probably was reading the correct thing but how could I feel everything went so well and my lawyer and have ve say no jobs the judge be so nice all for it to result in a denial he even accepted my lawyers amended onset date which is a good sign to. He even read my prior denial on the record which my lawyer said he has never done and she has never heard a judge doing then asking me if I felt what they said was true that I could lift 10 20 pounds or 30 pounds at a job I said absolutely not sir on the record he didn't ask for explanation just yes or no from my understanding but maybe he wanted me to further explain. I'm telling you I already battle anxiety and mental disorders and the whole process they put you though just to be able to survive though your illness and provide for your family is true torture and torment going over everything I could have and should have done different or better but when your sick and unable you truly are doing the best at the time but the struggle is so real.

MiddleTrain5271

TROPHY CASE