Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, SSA has provided claimant’s the option to have their disability hearings over the telephone when in-person hearings were not an option. As the pandemic continued, SSA started to offer online video hearings through the Microsoft Teams platform. Now, SSA has brought back in-person hearings on a limited basis but have continued to offer claimant’s the right to have their hearings through online video or by telephone. There is no significant advantage or disadvantage of one hearing format over the others. It comes down to what the claimant feels is best for them or what format their attorney feels may best support their claim based on the nature of the alleged impairments. It is important for every claimant to talk to their attorney about these hearing formats to make sure you are selecting the option that works best for you. Once an appeal is filed asking for a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), SSA will send out a form to each claimant asking them to indicate which hearing format they prefer. It is critical that you complete the form and send it back to your attorney as soon as possible. The Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) will NOT schedule your hearing until this form has been completed, signed and returned to SSA. If you have any questions about which hearing format will work best for you, please contact the disability attorneys at Henson Fuerst today.