Smith ultimately waited for three years before his appeal was heard by an administrative law judge in Rochester.
The hearing on March 6 lasted about 10 minutes. The judge asked Smith a few questions about his surgery and medical problems, and said that he had already reviewed the materials. Most claimants have to wait 30 to 45 days for a written decision; but this time, Smith was lucky. The judge granted his appeal on the spot.
I doubt that very much. No judge can issue a written decision in 10 minutes. What probably happened is that the judge gave him a verbal approval, after which he now has to prepare the written decision, have it typed by his staff, and then transfer the file to ODO, who will make the final input to pay the case. This happens fairly often. About two weeks after such a hearing, claimants are calling the FO wanting to know when they will be paid. It may take 2-3 additional months for them to get a check. Makes the judge look good, and the rest of us look like we are stalling.
ReplyDeletePlus I bet his attorney get paid long before he gets any retro (S9) money.
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