HALLEX

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
DA Disability Support – Disability Compliance

HALLEX

Chapter: HA 01120
Transmittal No. 115, September 11, 2026

Subject: Representative Fees

Background

This transmittal amends Hearings, Appeals, and Litigation Law (HALLEX) manual chapter HA 01120 to reflect changes in procedures, processes, and personnel delegated the authority to act as fee decision making, initial authorizing, and reviewing officials at the hearings and Appeals Council (AC) levels.

Explanation of Content and Changes

HA 01120.001 – Representative Fees — Overview

We added language in subsection A explaining that revised section HA 01120.006 includes information about delegations of authority to review initial fee actions under both the fee agreement and fee petition processes. In subsection E, we removed an unnecessary note about when an entity's point of contact may request administrative review under the fee agreement process and added cross-references to relevant HALLEX sections that provide information about who may request administrative review under both the fee agreement and fee petition processes. We also revised cross-references to HALLEX sections providing background information on administrative review under the fee agreement process and for identifying the reviewing officials under both the fee agreement and fee petition processes. In subsection E.2., we clarified that a party must submit a request for administrative review of a fee petition within 30 days of the date of the notice, not the date the notice is received, consistent with 20 CFR 404.1720(d)(1) and 416.1520(d)(1). In addition, we added new subsection F to clarify that Hearings In-Line Quality Review (Hearings ILQR) will respond to miscellaneous inquiries and requests for action involving hearings and AC-level fee matters from other components and coordinate with relevant hearings and AC staff as necessary. We also revised component names and contact information to reflect recent agency reorganizations and made additional minor editorial changes throughout.

HA 01120.006 – Delegation of Authority for Fee Authorization

We rewrote and reorganized this section substantially, changing the subsection headings and instructions throughout. In new subsection A, we provided high-level background information about how the Commissioner of Social Security has delegated authority to authorize and review fees to designated fee decision makers, authorizers, and reviewing officials. New subsections B and C have been rewritten to provide information about the hearings and AC-level officials who have been delegated such authority under the fee agreement and fee petition processes, respectively. We moved information about the decision makers who approve or disapprove fee agreements at the hearings and AC levels into new subsection B.1. We also included information about the reviewing officials who consider requests for administrative review of the fee agreement determination, effectuating component protests of approved fee agreements, and requests for administrative review of the fee amount authorized under an approved fee agreement in new subsections B.2., B.3., and B.4., respectively. In new subsection C.1., we revised information about the initial fee authorizers at the hearings and AC levels who determine a reasonable fee amount in response to a fee petition. We also included information about the reviewing officials for fees authorized at the hearings and AC levels based on a fee petition in new subsection C.2. In new subsection D, we provided background information about cases that are appealed to Federal court and the two different types of favorable judgement, for which a court attorney may request a court-authorized fee, and an appointed representative may charge and collect an administrative fee. In new subsection D.1., we included information about authorizing administrative fees when a court issues a decision and orders the Social Security Administration (SSA) to pay benefits. In new subsection D.2., we provided information about how administrative fees are authorized when a court remands the case to SSA and the agency issues a favorable administrative decision. We also revised component names and contact information to reflect recent agency reorganizations and made additional minor editorial changes throughout.

HA 01120.042 – Administrative Review of the Approval or Disapproval of the Fee Agreement — Overview

We revised subsection B to provide a cross-reference to new HALLEX HA 01120.006B.2. for information about the reviewing official. In subsection E, we revised the instructions to clarify that notice of the administrative review determination will be sent to each appointed representative who signed the fee agreement. We also made additional minor editorial changes throughout.

HA 01120.043 – Administrative Review of the Approval or Disapproval of the Fee Agreement — Procedures

In subsection A, we updated cross-references for identifying the reviewing official to new HALLEX HA 01120.006B.2. We also provided cross-references for finding the contact information for the reviewing official at each level of administrative review. We removed references to specific tracking systems formerly used at the hearings and AC levels from subsection B.3. In subsection C.1., we revised the instructions to clarify that a reviewing official will first develop for good cause when a request for administrative review is untimely before either denying the request as untimely or sending notice of the request to all parties and the decision maker. We removed references to specific tracking and processing systems used at the hearings and AC levels from subsection D.1. In this subsection, we also clarified that any other parties and the decision maker have 15 days after receiving notice of the request for administrative review to comment or submit additional information. We also added new subsection D.2. to provide information about how the reviewing official will consider a fee petition submitted after a decision makers approves a fee agreement, but before SSA authorizes a fee, as a request for administrative review of the fee agreement approval and provide notice about doing so to the requesting party. In subsection F.2., we provided instructions to use the DOORS application to find field office contact information. We also revised component names and contact information to reflect recent agency reorganizations and made additional minor editorial changes throughout.

HA 01120.044 – Administrative Review of the Fee Amount Authorized Under the Fee Agreement Process — Overview

In subsection C, we updated instructions to cross reference new HALLEX HA 01120.006B.4. to identify the appropriate reviewing official at the hearings and AC levels. We included instructions for finding effectuating component contact information in subsection D.2. We also revised component names to reflect recent agency reorganizations and made additional minor editorial changes throughout.

HA 01120.046 – Administrative Review of the Amount of the Fee Under the Fee Agreement Process — Procedures

We provided updated information about how to identify the reviewing official at the hearings and AC level and contact information for reviewing officials at all levels in subsection A.1. In subsection B.1., we revised the instructions to clarify that a reviewing official will first develop for good cause when a request for administrative review is untimely before either denying the request as untimely or sending notice of the request to any other parties and the decision maker. We removed references to specific tracking and case processing systems used at the hearings and AC levels from subsection C.2. We also revised component names to reflect recent agency reorganizations and made additional minor editorial changes throughout.

HA 01120.047 – Administrative Review of the Amount of the Fee Under the Fee Agreement — Procedures for Determining Fee Amount

In subsection A.1.a., we updated instructions to clarify that the reviewing official should also consider whether the effectuating component applied an incorrect statutory fee cap. We removed references to specific tracking and case processing systems used at the hearings and AC levels from subsection B.1. We updated the heading for subsection B.2. to reflect the content of that subsection more accurately. We also added language to subsection C to clarify that a reviewing official is not bound by the statutory fee cap or the 25 percent of past-due benefits limit for direct payment when considering whether the fee SSA authorized based on the approved fee agreement is reasonable. We also made additional minor editorial changes throughout.

HA 01120.049 – Incorrectly Approved Fee Agreement

We streamlined instructions for the hearings and AC levels and revised component names and contact information to reflect recent agency reorganizations. In subsection B, we clarified that staff will send the notice of a disapproved fee agreement following an effectuating component protest to each appointed representative who signed the fee agreement. We also made additional editorial changes throughout to enhance accuracy and readability.

HA 01120.055 – Representative Is Eligible to Receive Direct Fee Payment - Procedures up to Receipt of Petition

In subsection A, we specified that the effectuating component sends a copy of the claimant's notice of award to his or her principal representative. We also added information to clarify the diary periods the effectuating component sets after a decision is issued depending on whether the case involved proceedings before a Federal court in subsections A and B. In subsection B.2., we added instructions clarifying that staff will set an appropriate diary when they receive a notice of intent to file a fee petition. We added new subsection B.6. to provide instructions for handling a request for an extension of time to file a fee petition. We renumbered former subsection B.6. to B.7. and clarified that, if the representative has not submitted a fee petition after the close-out period or extension of time ends, staff will notify the representative and effectuating component about the release of withheld past-due benefits. We also revised component names and contact information to reflect recent agency reorganizations and made additional minor editorial changes throughout.

HA 01120.061 – Fee Petition Administrative Review — General Policy

We revised subsection E to cross reference new HALLEX HA 01120.006C.2. for information about the reviewing official. We also made additional minor editorial changes throughout to enhance accuracy and readability.

HA 01120.064 – Fee Petition Administrative Review — Acknowledgment/Interim Letters to the Parties

We revised subsection A to cross reference new HALLEX HA 01120.006C.2. for information about the reviewing official. In subsection B, we updated the subsection header and processing instructions to clarify that the reviewing official or staff will develop as necessary and consider any statement of good cause for an untimely filed request for administrative review before either denying the request as untimely or sending the parties notice about the request. We also revised component names and contact information to reflect recent agency reorganizations and made additional minor editorial changes throughout.

HA 01120.100 – Regional Chief Administrative Law Judges' Addresses and the Hearing Offices Within Their Jurisdictions

We removed and archived this section entirely because it is no longer applicable to the fee processing workloads. We included relevant internal routing information in the appropriate revised sections described above.