Social Security is conducting phone only hearings on disability cases and has done so since mid March due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the future of in-person hearings now in doubt. Having a phone hearing typically does not allow a claimant or a representative to present the best case possible to obtain benefits. People with significant physical impairments are not seen by the judge or experts that appear at the hearing to provide testimony, but it is the only way hearings are being conducted right now and there is no end in sight to phone hearings.
With that being said, there are some tips of how a claimant can have the best phone hearing possible giving the claimant the best opportunity to obtain benefits. Some things are rather simple, make sure you have a good phone connection, using a landline rather than a cell phone is probably preferable because connections are usually better. One underrated thing to remember is as a claimant, and as a representative it to try not to speak over the judge or the experts. This is a bit trickier because a claimant or representative is not in the same room with the other parties and can’t anticipate when someone else is about to talk, but keeping the mute button on until the judge addresses the representative and the claimant is a good plan.
A claimant’s representative will be in charge of getting a claimant ready for the phone hearing. Remember, Social Security has been only doing these types of hearing for just a few months so there could be some glitches with technology. There have been instances with calls being dropped and the malfunctioning equipment where hearings must be postponed, but most phone hearings have been conducted fairly successfully. As a claimant you should also be aware that you do not have to accept a phone hearing, you have the right to object until in-person hearing resume.
