Queens ALJs

For years, claimants and their attorneys have complained about the inability to receive an impartial hearing on their Social Security Disability (“SSD”) claims from the Administrative Law Judges (the “ALJs”) at the Jamaica Queens hearing office. In a recent blog, I provided statistics from the Social Security Administration (the “SSA”) that evidenced the bias complaints.

I represent a 31 year old woman with fibromyalgia and lupus who held various jobs during the past 15 years. The claimant’s SSD application and on-the-record (“OTR”) request for a fully favorable decision were denied in Queens. Because of her precarious financial situation, the claimant relocated to Florida. The Orlando Florida hearing office approved her OTR today, just two weeks after the file was transferred. If the claimant was so obviously disabled that Orlando approved the OTR in just two weeks, why wasn't Queens able to recognize that also?