I had the privilege of presenting a workshop at the Fall Conference for the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR) in Chicago.
The workshop was Ten Tips for Writing Effective Hearing Briefs for the ALJ. My presentation also included Ten Reasons to Write a Hearing Brief and a sample hearing brief.
Presenting…
The latest average processing time statistics for Social Security hearing offices around the country were distributed by NOSSCR in the July 2010 Social Security Forum, a newsletter for its members.
The average processing time for the Portland, Maine hearing office is now 352 days, just two weeks shy of one year.
Processing time runs…
The latest statistics for average processing time have been released by the SSA and distributed by NOSSCR in its July 2010 newsletter. The Manchester, NH Social Security hearing office has an average wait time of 412 days, or about 14 months, for a decision.
Processing time runs from the day the hearing office receives your…
An "on the record" decision refers to Social Security disability and SSI claims pending at the hearing level at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) that are granted on the record prior to a hearing. An on the record decision can only be a fully favorable decision.
Usually, an on the record (OTR) review is conducted after…
1. Be a Professional
Do the best job possible for your client. Just getting the medical records, a medical source statement, and attending the hearing with the client is not enough. Your opening statement to the judge may be forgotten by the time the next hearing starts.
A Social Security disability claim may have 30…
I gave this presentation at the Fall Conference of the National Organization of Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) in Chicago on September 24, 2010.
The Portland, Maine ODAR has required a hearing memorandum since 2006. Prior to scheduling a hearing, the claimant’s representative receives a letter from the Chief Judge. That letter states in part:
The judge…
I filed a hearing memorandum last week for a claim scheduled to go to hearing this Thursday in Manchester, New Hampshire. I got a call this morning from the judge's assistant, saying that the judge had decided to grant the claim on the record, and would I please notify my client that no hearing…
The latest average processing time statistics for Social Security hearing offices around the country were distributed by NOSSCR in the May 2010 Social Security Forum, a newsletter for its members.
The average processing time for the Portland, Maine hearing office is now 340 days, just over 11 months.
Processing time runs from the date…
Social Security has updated the ALJ disposition data for fiscal year 2010 on its website. This database shows how many cases each judge has decided, and how many were granted and how many were denied. The data now runs through April 30, 2010. So you get a better picture of each judge's recent record.
This…
I just received an on the record decision from the Portland Hearing Office for one of my clients. An "on the record" decision is a fully favorable decision granting the claim on the record without a hearing.
What is notable about this particular decision is that it was made on the exact same record evaluated by…
