Courthouse background photo with text bubbles on top. Phone Hearings - Public Benefits. Note that you DO have the right to request an in-person hearing but if you do schedule a phone hearing, here are a few things you’ll want to consider: You’re going to upload/send in your evidence ahead of time so everyone will have that information handy on the call. Information about how to do that will be on your scheduling notice. DSS should also send you a packet with THEIR evidence ahead of time too, so if you haven’t received this, be sure to let the court know! When you receive your hearing confirmation, you’ll get a date and a time. Hearings are scheduled at specific times (usually 9 am or 1 pm) BUT as many as 12 hearings will be scheduled for each time slot. Plan on waiting the whole time, just in case (from 9-1 if you have a morning hearing or 1-5 if you have an afternoon one. You want to be sure to have your phone charged and ready to go any time within 2-3 hours of the hearing. If you know your battery doesn’t hold a charge well, you might want to consider leaving it plugged in. The Hearing Officer will give you a call when it’s your turn. The call may come from an “unknown number,” or it might come from an Albany (518 or 838) area code. Occasionally, you might get a call from a different area code. Lastly, during the hearing, make sure to keep yourself on “mute” until it’s your turn to speak.
Unless you specifically request an in-person hearing, court appearances for public benefits appeals and fair hearings will generally take place over the phone ☎️ So what does that mean for you?
#CourtPrep #FairHearing #PublicBenefits
