Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Social Security Administration has offered claimants three options for how to appear for their disability hearings.
Prior to 2020, virtually all hearings before an administrative law judge were held in-person, or at video teleconference sites around the country.
Now, claimants can either appear in-person, by telephone, or through the Microsoft Teams app.
While everyone has their individual preferences for how to do these hearings, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of each.
Some claimants think it will help their case if a judge can see them in the same room. While that can indeed be the case, it’s important to keep in mind that this goes both ways, and sometimes being seen in-person may actually make a judge think your symptoms are less severe than reported.
With in-person hearings, some claimants also have trouble finding transportation or getting to a hearing office on time.
Of course, transportation issues are not a problem with phone hearings, but I’ve had many claimants with older phones that cause technical problems, or they live in areas with poor reception. If a call keeps dropping, a hearing has to be rescheduled, and it just results in a longer wait to get a decision.
And then there are Teams hearings, arguably the happy medium, where a judge can see you, but you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home.
But the problem that I often run into with Teams is that many of my clients simply cannot figure out the app on their phone or computer, and then they end up doing the hearing by phone anyway.
If you’re unsure of the best way to appear for your hearing, it’s best to discuss this with your disability attorney ahead of time.
