Social Security Hearing Offices: How an Appeal Reaches a Hearing

What a Social Security Hearing Office Does

A social security hearing office is where an administrative law judge (ALJ) hears an appeal of a decision SSA made about your benefits. These offices belong to SSA’s Office of Hearings Operations, a separate part of the agency from the field office where you applied. In hearing and satellite offices, judges hold hearings and decide hearing requests.

You reach a hearing office only after a step called reconsideration. If SSA denied your claim, cut off your benefits or found an overpayment, and a second look at reconsideration didn’t change the result, the hearing is your next move. It’s the first time you can explain your case directly to a judge, bring witnesses and answer questions.

Most hearing requests involve disability claims, but the same process covers other decisions, including overpayments and some Medicare entitlement issues.

The Four Appeal Levels and Their Deadlines

SSA’s appeal process runs in a fixed order. Each level has its own deadline, and missing one ends your right to the next level unless you show good cause.

Level	Who decides	Deadline to ask	How to ask
Reconsideration	SSA, or the state Disability Determination Services for a medical denial	60 days after you receive the initial decision	Form SSA-561 or iAppeals online
Hearing	An administrative law judge at a hearing office	60 days after you receive the reconsideration decision	Form HA-501 or iAppeals online (i501)
Appeals Council review	SSA’s Appeals Council	60 days after you receive the hearing decision or dismissal	Form HA-520 or the online i520
Federal court	A U.S. district court	60 days after you receive the Appeals Council’s action	A civil action filed in court

SSA treats a notice as received 5 days after the date printed on it, unless you show it arrived later. So in practice, count 65 days from the notice date, and don’t wait until the last week.

If you’re past the deadline, you can still file. Ask in writing for more time and explain why you were late. SSA weighs things like serious illness, a death in the family, records lost to fire, or a notice that never reached you.

How to Request a Hearing

The request must be in writing. A phone call asking for a hearing doesn’t count, and neither does a letter that only asks SSA to mail you a form.

You have three ways to file:

1. Online through iAppeals. For a disability appeal, the online form combines the hearing request (i501) with the appeal disability report, so you answer everything at once. You can save your work, come back with a re-entry number, and upload evidence as you go, as long as you submit inside the 60 days.
2. On paper. Download Form HA-501, Request for Hearing by Administrative Law Judge, and mail or fax it to SSA or hand it in at any Social Security office. For a disability appeal, SSA generally also needs Form SSA-3441-BK, the appeal disability report.
3. At a field office. Staff can take your request in person and help you complete it. See the appointment guide if you want a set time instead of walking in.

Whichever way you choose, have these ready:

• your name and Social Security number (or the wage earner’s, if you claim on someone else’s record);
• the reasons you disagree with the decision;
• a list of new evidence you’ll send, and when;
• your representative’s name and address, if you have one;
• for disability, your current doctors, visit dates, medications and any change in your condition.

Keep a copy of what you file and note the date. SSA counts the walk-in, fax, email or postmark date as the filing date, or the submit date for iAppeals.

How SSA Picks Your Hearing Office

You don’t choose a hearing office, and you don’t file with one directly. SSA’s rule is that the hearing office serving your home address has your case, even if your lawyer works in another hearing office’s area. The field office that takes your request forwards it to that servicing hearing office within five business days.

That’s why each field office in this directory names its hearing office. SSA’s office data links 1,114 of the 1,231 offices listed here to a hearing office. A few real examples:

• The Susanville, CA office sends appeals to the Sacramento, CA Hearing Office.
• The Denton, TX office sends appeals to the Dallas, TX (North) Hearing Office.
• The Wilson, NC office sends appeals to the Raleigh, NC Hearing Office.
• The Litchfield, IL office sends appeals across the state line to the St. Louis, MO Hearing Office.

If you want your hearing at a different office, give the field office a signed statement with your reasons. SSA forwards it with your request and tells you whether it will transfer the case.

If you move while your appeal is pending, report your new address to SSA and send proof of it. Your new address can change which office and which manner of hearing SSA schedules.

Hearing Offices, Satellite Offices and National Hearing Centers

SSA runs three kinds of hearing locations. This directory lists 168 of them in all.

Type	How many are listed	What it does
Hearing offices and satellite offices	163, including 4 satellite offices	Hold hearings for the field office territories assigned to them
National hearing centers	5	Add judge capacity; no field office territory of their own in SSA’s data

Judges hold hearings in both hearing offices and satellite offices, and SSA says its judges may also travel to other sites to conduct hearings when needed.

National hearing centers work differently. SSA opened them to add capacity, and none of the five has a field office territory of its own. They are in Baltimore, Falls Church, VA, Chicago, Albuquerque and St. Louis. If your notice names one of them, follow that notice for how and where to appear.

In Person, by Phone or by Video

SSA sets the manner of your hearing. There are four:

• In person at a hearing office or other site. These are generally held within 75 miles of your home, though people in Alaska, Hawaii and some western states may travel farther.
• Agency video, using SSA’s equipment in one of its offices, with the judge on screen.
• Audio, by phone from a private place you choose.
• Online video, on your own phone, tablet or computer from a private place. SSA schedules this only if you agree.

Before scheduling, SSA sends a notice about these options. You have 30 days from receiving it to object in writing to phone or agency video, or to agree in writing to online video. If you object to both phone and agency video, SSA schedules you in person or, if you agree, by online video. The video appointments guide covers the device setup for field office calls.

The hearing notice itself is sent at least 75 days before the date. It lists the issues the judge will decide, the time, how you’ll appear, and the place for in-person or agency video hearings. Sign and return the acknowledgment form it includes. If you don’t need that much notice, Form HA-510 waives the 75-day rule, which SSA says may help it schedule you sooner.

If you need an interpreter, including American Sign Language, ask the hearing office. SSA provides one free of charge. The interpreters and accessibility guide covers requesting other accommodations.

What Happens at the Hearing

The hearing is informal compared with a courtroom. The judge reviews your file, asks you questions, and lets you or your representative question witnesses. You can also explain in your own words why the decision was wrong.

The judge may call a medical expert or a vocational expert to testify. They usually appear by phone or video. Witnesses testify under oath or affirmation.

Three dates matter before the hearing:

• 5 business days before: send all written evidence, or tell SSA about it. The judge can refuse late evidence unless something outside your control caused the delay.
• 10 business days before: file any written request for the judge to subpoena a witness or records.
• 5 days before, or 30 days after you get the notice, whichever comes first: object in writing to the time or place and say what you want instead.

SSA makes an audio recording of the hearing. If you’d rather not appear, you can send Form HA-4608 to waive your appearance, though the judge may still schedule a hearing if only you can explain certain facts. Afterward, the judge issues a written decision based on all the evidence, and the hearing office mails a copy to you and your representative.

If you miss the hearing, call the hearing office right away. SSA may mail you a Request to Show Cause for Failure to Appear, which gives you 10 days from its date, plus 5 days for mail, to respond before it dismisses your request. If you disagree with it, the Appeals Council is next, with its own 60-day deadline.

Getting a Representative

You can handle a hearing yourself, but many people appoint help. A representative can be an attorney or a qualified non-attorney. To appoint one, you both sign Form SSA-1696, and the representative must be registered with SSA.

A representative can charge only a fee SSA approves, and never more than that amount. Ask about fees before you sign.

Some representatives charge nothing unless you receive benefits, and some organizations give free legal help if you qualify. Your local Social Security office or hearing office keeps a list of organizations that can help you find someone. SSA recommends appointing a representative as early as possible, since they need time to review your file. If you have no representative, SSA says it will contact you before the hearing to make sure you understand the process. A representative appointed within 30 days of the hearing may ask for more time, but the judge decides whether to grant it.

The Hearing Offices That Serve the Most Field Offices

Some hearing offices cover huge areas. These are the largest by the number of field offices that send them appeals, from SSA’s office data.

Hearing office	Field offices served
Milwaukee, WI	21
Boston, MA	20
Billings, MT	18
Baltimore, MD	16
Des Moines, IA	15
Seattle, WA	15
Dallas, TX (North)	14
St. Louis, MO	14
Eugene, OR	13
Minneapolis, MN	13
Fargo, ND	12
Albuquerque, NM	12

A big territory means many people travel some distance. If you live far from one of these cities, phone or video can spare you the trip, so read the manner-of-appearance notice closely.

Find Your Hearing Office

Start with your local field office. Use the Which Office Serves My ZIP? tool or the guide to finding your office by ZIP code. Each office page names the hearing office that handles its appeals, with that office’s phone number.

You can also browse every hearing office by state. Each hearing office page lists the field offices it serves, so you can confirm yours is there.

Once your case reaches the hearing office, deal with that office directly. Its phone number and its toll-free fax number, which starts with 833, are printed at the top of every notice it sends. Fax evidence to that number, and report any new address, phone number or email to the hearing office while your case is pending. If you’ll appear at a hearing office in person, the office security guide explains what to expect at the door.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Counts as Good Cause for a Late Appeal?

SSA looks at what kept you from filing on time, whether its own action misled you, and any physical, mental, educational or language limits you have. Its rules list examples such as a serious illness, a death or serious illness in your immediate family, records destroyed by fire or accident, never receiving the notice, or sending the appeal to another government agency in good faith. Put your reasons in writing when you file the late request.

Is a Phone Call Asking for a Hearing Enough?

No. SSA's field office manual says a verbal request by phone or in person, or a letter that only asks for a hearing form, is not a request for hearing. The request has to be in writing: Form HA-501, the online i501 through iAppeals, or another written statement that you disagree with the decision.

Can Appealing Put the Part of My Claim I Won at Risk?

It can. SSA's manual tells field office staff to explain that on appeal SSA can review all issues, including those decided in your favor, and that the date your disability began could come out the same, earlier or later.

What Happens if I Miss My Hearing?

If you can't attend, contact the hearing office before the hearing and give your reason in writing. If the judge finds no good cause to reschedule and you haven't filed a written waiver of the hearing, the judge may dismiss your request without reviewing the evidence in your file.

Will SSA Pay for My Travel to a Hearing?

Possibly. SSA's manual says field offices explain possible reimbursement of travel expenses when you have to travel more than 75 miles to attend the hearing. In-person and agency video hearings are generally held within 75 miles of your home, though people in Alaska, Hawaii and some western states may travel farther.

Can a Family Member Help Without Becoming My Representative?

Yes. A relative or friend who only interprets, fills out forms or drives you to an office doesn't need to be appointed or registered. To act as your representative and see your electronic records, they must register with SSA and be appointed on Form SSA-1696.

Keep Reading

• Make an AppointmentHow to schedule an office or phone appointment with SSA and what to have ready
• Video AppointmentsHow SSA meets people by video at partner sites, and who it suits
• Office Closed or MovedHow to find the office that serves you now after a closure, move or emergency closing
• Card CentersWhat SSA's card centers handle, where they are and when to use a regular office
• Interpreters and AccessibilityFree interpreter services, sign language and accessibility help SSA provides
• Office Security RulesThe security screening at SSA offices and what you can and can't bring in

Sources

1. eCFR: 20 CFR Part 404 Subpart J, Determinations and the Administrative Review Process
2. SSA POMS GN 03103.010: The Hearing Process
3. SSA POMS GN 03103.040: Determining Servicing Hearing Office
4. SSA POMS GN 03103.050: Information About Hearing Locations
5. SSA POMS GN 03910.040: Appointment of a Representative
6. Federal Register: Social Security Ruling 19-3p, Requesting Reconsideration or Hearing
7. SSA: Appeal a decision
8. SSA: The hearing process
9. SSA: Hearing Office Locator