SHOULD YOU HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY HEARING BY VIDEO?
Responding to the severe backlog of hearings and the long wait time to get a hearing, Social Security is now doing a large percentage of their disability hearings by Video-Teleconference (VTC). But do you really want to have your hearing by VTC? You have a choice. You can opt out of video hearings, if you do so according to the rules. (More on that later). The major advantage of a video-teleconference is that it shortens the wait time for a hearing. However, my research indicates that it only shortens the wait time by 1 or 2 months. Therefore, you are waiting 20 months instead of 21 or 22 months, not a significant reduction. What is the approval rate of VTC hearings vs. in-person hearings? Again, my research indicates that in-person hearings result in awards about 5 percent more often than video hearings. A 5 percent increase may not sound like much, but it is significant. What if you want to opt out of a VTC and insist on an in-...