As a resident of Florida with a serious, debilitating injury or illness, you may be trying to obtain Social Security disability payments through the U.S. Social Security Administration to help you get by in the absence of working. You may, too, have received a denial in response to your original claim, and if you also had a denied reconsideration, you may be preparing for an upcoming hearing. At Kaylor, Kaylor & Leto, P.A., we recognize that many people who apply for Social Security benefits have their initial claims denied, and we have helped many clients facing similar circumstances pursue solutions that meet their needs.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, unless you prefer otherwise and wish to meet in person or over the phone, you may need to participate in a video hearing if you wish to continue to pursue disability benefits. The purpose of the video hearing, which an administrative law judge conducts, is for the judge to gather more evidence about your condition in order to render a final decision about whether you should receive disability benefits.
While a video hearing takes place online, you will still need to report to a specific location at a specific time in order to attend. You will receive word at least 75 days in advance of your hearing of when and where you will need to be to take part in it and at this point, you should start gathering any additional evidence you want the judge to consider relating to your condition. The judge may also ask that your doctor or another witness attend the hearing to offer his or her opinion about your ability to work.
Typically, the administrative judge will decide at a later time whether to extend you disability benefits and notify you in writing of his or her decision. You can find out more about Social Security disability benefits and the appeals process on our webpage.
