Ha-l54

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Refer To: [Claimant Name]
[BNC Number]

Office of Hearings Operations
[Local Office Address]
Tel: [Local Office Phone]/ Fax: [Local office
Fax]
[Notice Date]

[OBO Name] on behalf of
[ClaimantFirstName][ClaimantLastName]
[OBO Address]

[ClaimantFirstName][ClaimantLastName]
[ClaimantAddress]

Notice of Ways to Attend a Hearing
We may schedule you to attend your hearing in one of four ways: (1) in person at one of our
offices; (2) by audio using a telephone in a private location you choose; (3) by agency video using
our video equipment at one of our offices; or (4) by online video using a personal electronic
device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection, in a private location
you choose. For audio and online video, the private location you choose must be located within
the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the United States Virgin Islands. You can object to attending
your hearing by audio or agency video. We will only schedule you to attend by online video if you
agree.
Attend in person: If we schedule you to attend in person, you must travel to one of our offices,
such as a hearing office or a permanent remote site. You and the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)
will be in the same room. You cannot object to attending in person.
Attend by audio: If we schedule you to attend by audio, you will attend the hearing using your
telephone in a private location of your choice. Although you and the ALJ will be in different
locations, you and the ALJ will still be able to hear and speak to each other. At the time of the
hearing, the hearing office will call you at the telephone number you provided. Generally, we may
schedule you to attend your hearing by audio unless you object to attending that way.
In limited circumstances, we may schedule you to attend by audio even if you tell us that you
object to attending that way. For example, we will schedule you to attend by audio when we
cannot schedule you to attend by agency video or online video and extraordinary circumstances
prevent you from attending in person.
Attend by agency video: If we schedule you to attend by agency video, you must travel to one of
our offices and we will provide the video equipment. You will be able to see, hear, and speak to
the ALJ, who will be in a different location, just as if you were in the same room. The hearing will
occur using our secure network, and someone will make sure the video equipment is connected
and working properly. We may schedule you to attend your hearing by agency video unless you
object to attending that way.

If you change your residence while your request for hearing is pending, we may schedule you to
attend by agency video, even if you objected to attending in that way.
Attend by online video: If we schedule you to attend by online video, you will attend at a private
location of your choice using a personal electronic device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or
computer with an internet connection. The hearing will occur over the internet using Microsoft
Teams. You will be able to see, hear, and speak to the ALJ, who will be in a different location.
We will not supply a smartphone, tablet, or computer or an internet connection for the hearing.
Examples of a private location where you could attend the hearing include your home or your
representative’s office if you are represented. To attend your hearing by online video, you must
have access to email. The smartphone, tablet, or computer that you use for the hearing must have a
camera, microphone, and a speaker. We may schedule you to attend by online video only if you
agree to attend that way.
Privacy Notice: Please note that Microsoft Teams is a non-government third party application.
This application is not under control of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and may not
follow SSA’s privacy, security, or accessibility policies located on SSA’s official website at
https://www.ssa.gov/agency/privacy.html. Once you access this application, you are subject to the
policies of Microsoft, and you may be asked to agree to Microsoft’s terms of use and privacy
policies, which SSA does not control. As such, by using this application, you may be providing
non-government third parties access to your personally identifiable information (PII).
What to Do If You Do Not Want to Attend Your Hearing by Audio or Agency Video
If you do not want to attend by audio or agency video, you must tell us in writing within 30
days after the date you receive this notice. We assume you received this notice 5 days after the
date on the notice unless you show us that you did not get it within the 5-day period. We may
extend the 30-day period if you show you had good cause for missing the deadline. Please let us
know by completing and returning the attached form in the envelope we sent your representativeyou.
What to Do If You Agree to Attend Your Hearing by Online Video
If you are willing to attend your hearing by online video, you must tell us that in writing within 30
days after the date you receive this notice. We assume you received this notice 5 days after the
date on the top of the notice unless you show us that you did not get it within the 5-day period. We
may extend the 30-day period if you show you had good cause for missing the deadline. We will
not schedule you to attend your hearing by online video unless you agree to attend in that way.
Please let us know by completing and returning the attached form in the envelope we sent your representativeyou.
Reviewing Evidence When You Attend by Audio, Agency Video, or Online Video
You will have a chance to review the evidence in your claim before the hearing. If you have a my
Social Security account, we can send you a copy of your claim file electronically through the my
Social Security Message Center. Please make sure that you have turned on notifications so that

you will receive an alert from the my Social Security Message Center when the file is ready for
your review. If you do not have a my Social Security account, you can create one at
www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ by selecting the “Create an Account” button. In addition to allowing
you to view the evidence in your file, a my Social Security account allows you to check the status
of your application, and the date and time of your hearing, after we have scheduled it. Please note
that you must be at least 18 years of age to create a my Social Security account, and you may not
create an account for another person, including a child under age 18.
Additionally, your representative may be able to access the evidence electronically
for you.
If you do not have a personal my Social Security account, and your representative does not have
electronic access to the evidence, we can email you a copy of the claim file in an encrypted email
attachment. You may also review your claim file in the hearing office closest to you. Please call
us at the telephone number at the top of this notice if you would like us to send you a copy of the
claim file by email or if you would like to review your claim file in the hearing office.
If you do not have a my Social Security account, we can email you a copy of your
claim file in an encrypted email attachment or you may review your claim file in the hearing office
closest to you. Please call us at the telephone number at the top of this notice if you would like us
to send you a copy of the claim file by email or if you would like to review your claim file in the
hearing office.
Protecting Your Privacy
We will collect and maintain personally identifiable information you share with us during the
hearing to make a decision on your claim. If you attend your hearing by audio, agency video, or
online video, an ALJ will conduct the hearing from a private location. The ALJ and other agency
employees will safeguard your personal information by using the agency’s secure network and
hardware. If you attend your hearing by audio or online video, you must attend from a private
location. We also recommend that you use a private internet connection if you attend the hearing
by online video.
If You Have Any Questions
If you have any questions, or if you require an accommodation to participate in a hearing, please
contact us at [Local Office Phone].

Sincerely yours,

[ALJ Name]
Administrative Law Judge

Social Security Administration

Enclosures:
HA-55 (Objection to Appearing by Audio or Agency Video)
HA-56 (Agreement to Appearing by Online Video)
SSA Publication No. 80-102 (How to Attend Your Hearing)
Return Envelope
cc:
[Representative of Record]
[On Behalf Of Claimant]