SSA offices closing, hearings moving to telephone & video during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Social Security has created a page on their website to provide up to date information on office closures and effected services. Per SSA:
“All local Social Security offices will be closed to the public for in-person service starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This decision protects the population we serve—older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions—and our employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are still able to provide critical services.
Through telework and limited in-office work, OHO staff will continue to conduct “mission critical work,” which includes the following:
- Telephone hearings when agreed upon by claimants and their representatives;
- Issuing decisions;
- Decision writing;
- Sending notices;
- Record development;
- Pre-hearing development contacts (PHDCs);
- Exhibiting case files for ALJs;
- Screening cases for OTRs;
- Scheduling hearings; and
- Hearing recordings by IT staff.
Also, if representatives have a certified video hearing site in their office through the Representative Video Project (RVP) that claimants and representatives are willing to use, OHO will permit the hearing to continue utilizing that equipment.
OHO will permit anyone who is currently scheduled (or was scheduled) for an in-person hearing to postpone and reschedule for a later time. This means that claimants are not required to proceed with phone hearings. However, there is currently no timeframe for when in-person hearings can or will be rescheduled, although critical cases will be prioritized.”
Click here to read the full notice and for more information.