During the Covid-19 pandemic, Social Security has implemented safety precautions to protect the public and its employees. As a result, most interactions with Social Security will not be “in person”, but will be by telephone, video or online.
Disability Hearings are now conducted by telephone, or by downloading and using the free “Microsoft Teams” video meeting application on your camera enabled computer, tablet or smartphone.
This is how Social Security describes the process:
“Claimants and representatives can attend their online video hearing from any private place with a secure internet connection using their camera enabled phone, tablet, or computer. We will conduct online video hearings the same way we conduct telephone and in-person hearings. The ALJ will swear in all hearing participants, listen to your testimony, and ask you questions, if necessary. You also will have the opportunity to ask questions during the hearing. You will see the ALJ and your representative if you have appointed one, and you are not in the same location. Other participants such as vocational and medical experts and interpreters will join by phone only.”
Online video hearings will look something like this on your computer or laptop:
And will look something like this on your cellphone:
