I-4-8-35.Court Case Preparation and Review Branch Staff Actions After Appeals Council Action on Exceptions

Last Update: 12/8/17 (Transmittal I-4-78)

The Court Case Preparation and Review Branch (CCPRB) staff will release all final Appeals Council (AC) action documents (notices declining jurisdiction, decisions, and remand orders), route cases appropriately, and record all claims movements in the Appeals Review Processing System (ARPS). For information on releasing AC split actions, see Hearings, Appeals and Litigation Law (HALLEX) manual I-3-2-60.

A. Appeals Council Declines to Assume Jurisdiction or Issues Unfavorable Decision

When the AC declines to assume jurisdiction of a case or issues an unfavorable decision, CCPRB staff will:

  • Associate the notice and AC decision, if any, in the claim(s) file.

  • Mail the notice and AC decision, if any, to the claimant and representative.

  • In sentence six cases, prepare the supplemental certified administrative record (CAR) using the procedures in HALLEX I-4-8-50.

  • As needed, send paper claim(s) file to the Social Security Administration's National Records Center, as described in HALLEX I-4-2-35 B, and enter a remark in ARPS with the tracking number.

B. Appeals Council Issues Fully or Partially Favorable Decision

When the AC issues a fully or partially favorable decision, CCPRB staff will:

  • Include the decision in the claim(s) file.

  • Release the decision to the claimant and the representative, if any.

  • When the AC issues a partially favorable decision on a sentence six remand case, prepare the supplemental CAR using the procedures in HALLEX I-4-8-50.

  • Alert the appropriate Office of Appellate Operations staff if no fee agreement was received.

  • Forward the case to the effectuating component(s). To locate the appropriate effectuating component address use the Detailed Office/Organization Resource System.

C. Appeals Council Remands Case

When the AC issues a remand order, CCPRB staff will:

  • Include the remand order and the court remand in the claim(s) file.

  • Forward the case to the hearing office. For paper claim(s) files, CCPRB staff will send the claim(s) file to the hearing office and enter a remark in ARPS with the tracking number.

  • Mail the remand order to the claimant and the representative, if any.