1. If you are receiving disability benefits: You will continue to receive them, without interruption. However, if you receive a notice from Social Security that contains a response deadline, you must comply with all standard response deadlines unless you can show good cause.
2. If you have applied for disability benefits and have not received a decision: SS employees are working remotely and claims are being processed; however, unless you have a terminal condition, or extreme financial hardship, claims are taking longer than usual to process. In the meantime, you must comply with all standard deadlines, unless you can show good cause.
3. If you need to contact your local Social Security Office: Local Social Security Offices are closed. You can call the general number, but priority is given to claims involving terminal conditions or extreme financial hardship. There are many resources available online at the www.ssa.gov website.
4. If you have an appeal and are waiting for a hearing.: Hearings offices are closed, but Judges and employees are working remotely; however, if your claim started as a paper file, it will not be handled until the hearing office reopens.
5. If you have a scheduled hearing: Appeal Hearings are taking place by telephone only. If you do not want a telephone hearing, your case will be postponed, and rescheduled; however, at this time there is no estimate as to when these cases will be scheduled.
Follow this link to Social Security’s website for more information about claims and Covid-19 https://www.ssa.gov/coronavirus/