These instructions apply when a large batch of cases are transferred from a hearing office (HO) to an NHC. These instructions do not apply for individual case transfers or cases transferred to another hearing office.

For individual case transfers, see Hearings, Appeals and Litigation Law (HALLEX) manual HA 01205.070. For hearing office workload assistance transfers, see HALLEX HA 01210.057.

The Division of Workload Management (DWM) in the Office of Budget, Facilities and Security (OBFS), in conjunction with the National Service Delivery's (NSD) Central Office, is responsible for determining the need for and arrangement of case transfers to an NHC.

Transfers to NHCs are based on workload assistance needs. Only fully electronic cases may be transferred to the NHCs. No paper cases are transferred to an NHC. In the event a case is excluded from the Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS) and is made a paper claim(s) file prior to a hearing being held, the case must be returned to the transferring HO.

In addition, OCALJ will not authorize the transfer of any case to an NHC that would not be transferred to a non-service area HO under HALLEX HA 01210.057 A.4.

The assigned NHC ALJ must follow the court requirements for the jurisdiction where the claimant resides, regardless of location, to the extent consistent with SSA regulations and any applicable Acquiescence Ruling (AR).

Once the transfer of cases is arranged, the transferring HO must send the cases to the assisting NHC within 5 days.

It is the responsibility of the NHC to notify the claimants and their representatives of the case reassignment. This notification must be done as soon as possible after receipt of the cases in the NHC.

On receipt of cases, NHC management will generally assign dockets to ALJs on a rotational basis.

The NHC will only process electronic files and conduct hearings by audio, agency video, and online video.

To the extent possible, the NHC will schedule hearings on cases within 60 days of receipt, or within a reasonable amount of time to permit a processing time that is comparable to or less than the average processing time at the transferring HO.

Cases that cannot be scheduled within 60 days, or are postponed or continued and cannot be rescheduled within a reasonable timeframe, will be returned to the transferring HO. The NHC will coordinate return of these cases with the NSD Central Office and OCALJ.

The Appeals Council sends remands for NHC ALJ decisions or dismissals to the HO servicing the claimant's current address. If the NHC is still providing assistance to the HO and the NHC ALJ is currently on duty in the same NHC, the case may be assigned to the NHC ALJ unless the claimant has filed a timely objection to appearing at the hearing by both audio and agency video and has not agreed to appear by online video. See HALLEX HA 01205.021 and HA 01205.022.