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How to Answer Judge’s Questions Regarding Daily Activities in a Social Security Disability Case

Clients of an Augusta Social Security disability attorney commonly have questions about how their daily activities are viewed when they make a claim to receive benefits.

Examples of Questions and Answers Regarding Daily Activities

Your Augusta Social Security disability lawyer will tell you that when the judge asks you what you do on a typical day and you answer “nothing,” it is unlikely to be a good answer. If you simply sit on a couch and watch TV, that qualifies as doing something. If you feed your cat, look out the window or lay on the bed staring at the cracks in the ceiling, it is doing something.

Another answer that will be deemed negative to your case is if you say that you are able to cook, clean and go to the supermarket without going into specific details as to how your problems limit you. For example, you could say that you cook, but it has to be something that doesn’t require a lot of attention. If you clean, you might say that you can only do it in small intervals. To go to the supermarket, you might need to drive even if it is only a short distance and will require help to carry your items.

It will benefit your case if you give a detailed account of what you do on a normal day with emphasis being placed on how your health issues make it hard to function as a healthy person would. If you say that you can’t stand or walk for extended periods, but tell the judge that you’re able to go jogging four times a week, it will put doubt in the judge’s mind as to whether your stated limits coincide with your activities.

Contact an Experienced Augusta Social Security Disability Attorney

If you have questions about answering the judge’s questions regarding your daily activities, an Augusta Social Security disability lawyer can help. Call us today.