Online Video Hearings (OVH) are now an alternative to phone hearings
Excerpts from the notice sent by ALJ John Rabaut, Acting Regional Chief ALJ, Chicago Region regarding online video hearings. "Back in September 2020, Commissioner Andrew Saul announced that we were beginning to roll out the option to appear at an ALJ hearing by online video using a free online platform called Microsoft Teams." "For additional information, please visit our webpage SSA Hearing Options Available During COVID-19 and the SSA Coronavirus (COVID-19) resource webpage
COVID Impact: How long will this application take?
Prior to the virus shutdowns, three to six months for an initial application to be processed was typical. Since the shutdowns, the processing time has dramatically increased for some of my clients, especially those clients whose applications were filed early 2020. One client's application was filed in January 2020, and we didn't receive the initial determination until January 2021. A whole year! That was ridiculous. I believe that delay was due to the implementation of remote
