1. All Social Security offices are closed to walk-in traffic. All business must be done by phone or internet or through an attorney/advocate.
2. No hearings are being conducted in person. You are no longer able to sit down with a judge and have a hearing about your denied claim. Hearings are now being held by telephone conference call. Many judges don't even come in to their offices; they hold hearings from their homes.
3. The state decision making office in Birmingham (DDS) was closed for approximately 8 weeks, starting about May 17th. It is open again but may be running behind schedule due to 8 weeks off work and the workload piling up.
You can still apply for SSDI benefits. You may use www.socialsecurity.gov. Or, you may call Social Security at 1-866-593-0663 (option 0).
Now, more than ever, you may wish to obtain the help of a disability advocate or attorney to assist you in meeting all of the many requirements to get benefits. Like everything else, many advocates/attorneys now consult via telephone as opposed to an in-person office visit. We can be reached at (256) 799-0297.
No comments:
Post a Comment