Earlier this month, SSA started sending out letters to those persons awaiting hearings on their claims. These letters informed people that they could have their hearings in front of a TV screen rather than with a live judge. SSA included a full-page handout with each letter explaining the value of giving up your right to see a live judge. The biggest supposed benefit is this could move your case along a little faster. It is clear that SSA really wants claimants to go for this proposition. One sneaky thing they did was not even provide an envelope in which to send back an objection to the video conference hearing. Instead, they wanted the person to sign it and then take it to his or her lawyer. The lawyer was supposed to send in the objection. Keep in mind, if you do not object, you are heading to a video hearing. The fair way to do this was the opposite: let people opt in, not opt out.
If SSA is going to these lengths to make it hard for people to object to TV hearings, there must be some benefit in it for them. If it benefits SSA, it cannot benefit claimants at the same time.
Just Say No to “Judge Judy” hearings.
