Enhanced Representative Availability Process (ERAP)

The Enhanced Representative Availability Process (ERAP) is SSA’s process for representatives to submit their availability for hearings scheduled before Administrative Law Judges. The process is designed to enhance public service for claimants through effective scheduling, provide a uniform and streamlined scheduling experience for representatives and other hearing participants, and increase efficiency and accuracy in scheduling.

This site provides information for representatives regarding the scheduling process and the Representative Availability Portal, contact information, availability submission examples, training materials, a glossary of terms, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and other important scheduling information.

Recent ERAP Enhancements
Since October of 2023, representatives have been submitting availability using the ERAP process. Based on user feedback and technological advancements, SSA is excited to share two significant ERAP enhancements: the ability to submit availability on a national level and the opportunity for every representative to submit availability through the Representative Availability Portal.

Beginning with the January 2026 Target Scheduling Month (TSM), due August 1, 2025, Designated Scheduling Groups (DSGs) will provide only one submission of availability to cover all pending schedulable cases no matter where the cases are pending across the nation. For the first time, DSGs will also be able to specify the time zone for their provided availability and may reflect multiple representatives in multiple time zones. For more details on this enhancement, see National Availability Process and How to Submit Representative Availability below.

The Representative Availability Portal (Portal) is open to all representatives registered in ERAP. This convenient, web-based method of submitting availability allows representatives to load their availability directly into the SSA system with a summary confirmation for reference. The Portal also transitions to gathering availability on the national level with the January 2026 TSM, due August 1. Please see Representative Availability Portal below to learn how to register for this helpful tool.

National Availability in the Enhanced Representative Availability Process

Getting Started
If you are new to ERAP, the first step is to tell us that you are ready to form a Designated Scheduling Group (DSG) by sending us an email indicating that you are ready to request a DSG. Please send your email to: OHO.NSD.NSS.ELU.DSG.Rep@ssa.gov or call us at 1-866-964-1714.  We will email instructions for how to request your DSG. To learn more about DSGs, visit the Designated Scheduling Group (DSG) tab below.

After you send us your DSG information, we will enroll you in ERAP. If we have any questions about your DSG information, we will contact you. Once you are successfully enrolled in ERAP, you will receive an email confirming that your DSG request has been successfully processed. The email will include the specific date and corresponding Target Scheduling Month (TSM) when you should begin submitting your ERAP-compliant availability.

To ask questions about the new process or to receive assistance with how to structure your DSG, please call the External Liaison Unit (ELU) at 1-866-964-1714 or email the ELU at OHO.NSD.NSS.ELU.General.Inquiries@ssa.gov.

External Liaison Unit (ELU)

The External Liaison Unit (ELU) is a specialized unit within Social Security dedicated to scheduling. The ELU is primarily responsible for obtaining and monitoring representative availability. ELU staff ensure appropriate collection of availability and enter representative availability provided by email into SSA’s hearings scheduling application.

For questions regarding availability for hearings, the ELU will generally be the first point of contact for representatives.

Contacting the ELU

General Inquiries: Email or Telephone

Email: Please submit general inquiries regarding SSA’s hearings scheduling and representative availability process, including questions about submission or receipt of monthly availability and any other related questions to the ELU’s general inquiries box: OHO.NSD.NSS.ELU.General.Inquiries@ssa.gov. Do not send monthly availability or Designated Scheduling Group (DSG) information to the general inquiry email box. Instead, use the DSG or availability email box.

Do not send Social Security numbers, claim information, or any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) over the Internet. It is never appropriate to send claimant PII to an SSA email box, even if the email is encrypted. The ELU will not respond to emails that include claimant PII.

Telephone:

Contact the ELU at our toll-free number: 1-866-964-1714. ELU staff are available to answer scheduling-related questions Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:30pm Eastern Time.

Submission of Representative Availability

Please submit monthly availability using the Representative Availability Portal or National Availability email address at RepAvailability@ssa.gov. See the Submitting Representative Availability tab for further information regarding availability submission requirements.

If submitting by email, you will receive an automatic confirmation reply email upon successful submission of your availability.

Initial Submission or Modification of Designated Scheduling Group (DSG) Information

Please submit initial requests to create a DSG or requests to modify an existing DSG by encrypted email to the following email address: OHO.NSD.NSS.ELU.DGS.REP@gov.

See the “Designated Scheduling Group” section for further information regarding Designated Scheduling Groups.

You will receive an automatic confirmation reply email upon successful submission of your availability.

Due Date for Representative Availability

Representatives must provide SSA with their availability for hearings by the first day of the month, five months before the start of the Target Scheduling Month (TSM). For example, availability for January 2026 is due by August 1, 2025. SSA will not accept late availability submissions from representatives in the portal or via email. If a representative does not submit their availability timely, they will be considered fully available and will be scheduled accordingly.


Representative Availability Due Target Scheduling Month
August 1 January
September 1 February
October 1 March
November 1 April
December 1 May
January 1 June
February 1 July
March 1 August
April 1 September
May 1 October
June 1 November
July 1 December

Scheduling Cycle

A scheduling cycle is typically 6 months, including the entire Target Scheduling Month (TSM). The months of a scheduling cycle are calculated starting with the month in which the cycle begins. For example, the scheduling cycle for a TSM of June begins January 1 and ends on June 30. Representative availability is due at the beginning of a scheduling cycle. For example, using a TSM of June, representative hearing availability is due on January 1.

National Availability Process

Beginning with the January 2026 TSM, SSA will no longer be collecting non-overlapping availability for the 10 separate regions. Availability should be provided in one submission to cover all pending schedulable cases across the nation through the Representative Availability Portal or by email to RepAvailability@ssa.gov.

Under this new process, a time zone must be submitted for every representative’s availability whether a time restriction is submitted for any dates or not. Submissions will allow for the annotation of multiple representatives in a specific time zone and the submission of multiple time zones. See How to Submit Representative Availability for further details and examples.

Representatives should submit availability in the time zone where they are located. SSA will convert the submitted availability to other time zones if a representative’s cases are pending in another location. Also, if SSA transfers cases to a hearing office in another time zone after availability is submitted, SSA will convert the originally submitted availability to the new time zone for scheduling. Representatives do not need to submit availability in all the time zones where they have schedulable cases pending.

The sufficiency of the submitted availability will be evaluated on a national level. Also, if a DSG does not provide availability for a month, availability will be applied commensurate to the number of schedulable cases pending nationally.

How to Submit Representative Availability

Each month, representatives will submit their availability for hearings for their Designated Scheduling Group (DSG).

Designated Scheduling Groups (DSGs)

Representatives who wish to provide us their monthly availability must first set up a DSG. A DSG is a group of representatives for which availability is provided. A DSG may be comprised of one representative or multiple representatives, depending on the structure of the representative’s practice group. Some representatives, such as those in firms, business entities, or other groups, prefer to provide availability for a consolidated group of representatives, rather than for individual representatives.

Representatives structure their practice groups in a variety of ways. Some representatives handle a case individually from start to finish, including attending a hearing with a claimant.

Other representative practice groups may be larger, and these practice groups may assign hearing coverage to other partners, associates, or contract representatives closer in time to the hearing. These types of practice groups often prefer to provide SSA consolidated availability for a group of representatives.

If a representative or practice group wishes to provide availability for a consolidated group of representatives, the DSG will contain multiple affiliated representatives. SSA will use the DSG to track availability for hearings for the group.

On a monthly basis, representatives will provide hearing availability for the DSG to the ELU. Local hearing offices and National Hearing Centers will then schedule hearings pursuant to the availability provided for the DSG.

All representatives who provide availability must be part of a DSG. Submitting information about a DSG is the first step in the scheduling process. Representatives only need to complete this step once, unless the representative or practice group seeks to modify the DSG. The ELU will not accept monthly availability submissions from a representative who is not part of a DSG.

Before providing their first availability submission, representatives must provide information about their DSG to us by encrypted email. The representative is responsible for determining the composition of the DSG. A representative may modify the DSG in the future, also via encrypted email. DSG modification requests must be received prior to the due date for submitting representative availability for a scheduling cycle in order to take effect for that scheduling cycle. For example, if a DSG wishes to begin submitting email availability for the Target Scheduling Month (TSM) of June, the representative(s) must submit DSG creation information prior to January 1.

See the Designated Scheduling Groups and the FAQs Scheduling tabs for additional information.

Submitting Monthly Availability

  • Where to Submit Monthly Availability
  • Representative communication regarding availability will be with the ELU. Representatives should submit availability through the Representative Availability Portal. If you are not enrolled in the Portal, please contact the ELU at OHO.NSD.NSS.ELU.General.Inquiries@ssa.gov or by calling at 1-866-964-1714. While the Portal is the simplest and most convenient method to submit availability, you may also submit your availability via email to RepAvailability@ssa.gov. The subject line of the email should include the name of the DSG and the TSM. As a reminder, the ELU will send an email to the DSG contact person requesting representative availability for the DSG in advance of the due date.

  • When to Submit Monthly Availability
  • Representatives, through their DSGs, must provide SSA their availability for hearings by the first day of the month, five months before the start of the TSM. For additional information about the scheduling cycle, please refer to the Scheduling Cycle tab. SSA will not accept late availability submissions from representatives in the portal or via email. If a representative does not submit their availability timely, they will be considered fully available and will be scheduled accordingly.


Representative Availability Due Target Scheduling Month
August 1 January
September 1 February
October 1 March
November 1 April
December 1 May
January 1 June
February 1 July
March 1 August
April 1 September
May 1 October
June 1 November
July 1 December























Approximately 10 days before the due date to submit representative availability, we will send a reminder email using the contact information provided for a representative’s DSG. For example, for a TSM of June, availability is due by January 1. A reminder email will be sent on or about December 21. The reminder email will include the due date to submit availability, along with instructions for providing availability.

  • Who Should Submit Monthly Availability?
  • We recommend that representatives who have cases pending in schedulable statuses nationally provide availability.

    SSA uses representative-supplied availability to schedule hearings and will not call representatives when scheduling cases for a TSM. If a representative does not supply availability or is untimely in submitting availability according to the Scheduling Cycle due dates, SSA will assume that the representative is fully available for scheduling and proceed to schedule their cases for hearings on that basis.


  • Providing Availability
  • Each month, representatives, through their DSG, should provide their availability in accordance with the number of their cases pending at the hearing level across the nation.

    Representatives may submit availability for a TSM as soon as it is ready, up to 11 months beyond the current TSM’s due date. Submissions for subsequent months will not be accepted.

    Please note that representatives are expected to consider the number of their schedulable cases close in time to the availability due date for the TSM. Accordingly, it is advisable for representatives to submit availability no earlier than 10 days prior to the availability due date for the TSM, and no later than the TSM’s availability due date.

    As noted earlier, if a DSG does not provide availability by the due date, the DSG will be considered fully available for the TSM.

    Schedulable statuses include the following pre-hearing statuses in Electronic Records Express (ERE): Master Docket, Pending Review, Pre Hearing Review, Pending Folder Assembly, Folder Assembly, Pre Hearing Development, Pending ALJ Assignment, and Ready to Schedule.

    We will send an email informing the DSG that it will be considered fully available when we do not receive timely availability.


  • Required Monthly Availability Information

    If submitting availability through the Representative Availability Portal, the portal screens designate the required information. See Representative Availability Portal for details on entering availability into the Portal. If submitting availability by email, the representative must provide the ELU with the following information:

      • The name of the DSG and the TSM. This information must be included in the subject line of the email.

      • The number of available representatives per the DSGs' for the TSM.

        • For the purposes of providing monthly availability, an available representative is any representative who will handle hearings for the TSM for the DSG. The representative could be a principal or non-principal representative. The representative could also be a partner, an associate, an attorney from another firm or group, a non-attorney representative, or a contract representative.

      • The time zone of each available representative

      • The days and times of availability for each DSG’s available representative(s)

        • If indicating that a representative is available for a “full day,” we will assume that the representative is available during business hours for every workday in the month.

            • For each available representative, the DSG must indicate which days in the TSM they are available, and may indicate a time range for that day, for example:

              • An across-the-board time availability for one or all available representatives of the DSG that does not vary per day, OR
              • All representatives in the DSG are available full days, OR
              • One representative in the DSG cannot attend hearings which start prior to 10:00am, OR
              • One representative cannot attend a hearing starting later than 2:00pm, OR
              • One representative can attend hearings which start from 8:30am – 12:00pm, and are available again for hearings which start 3:00pm – 4:00pm

      • OPTIONAL: Whether there is a daily cap on the number of hearings to be scheduled for each available representative, and, if so, the capped number for each available representative per available day, and/or

      • OPTIONAL: Whether there is a maximum cap of hearings to be scheduled for the DSG for the month, and if so, the capped number for the DSG

      • For example, for the DSG of Doe and Associates, for the TSM of August, there are five available representatives for hearings. One of them is available starting each day at 9:30am, and the other four are all available full days. They are all available each day of the month, except one is unavailable on 8/13 and another is unavailable on 8/23; a maximum of 150 total hearings for the month for the group is requested. All representatives are in the Eastern Time Zone.

      • In the monthly availability submission, Doe and Associates should submit availability for August by email as follows:

        • Subject line: Doe and Associates August TSM
        • All representatives are in Eastern Time Zone
        • 5 available representatives, request a max cap for DSG of 150 total hearings
          • Representative 1: Available all days, available from 9:30am to COB; max 3 hearings per day
          • Representative 2: Available all days, full days; max 4 hearings per day
          • Representative 3: Available all days, full days; max 4 hearings per day
          • Representative 4: Available all days except 8/13, full days; max 4 hearings per day
          • Representative 5: Available all days except 8/23; max 4 hearings per day

Designated Scheduling Groups (DSGs)

Designated Scheduling Groups (DSGs)

A DSG is a group of representatives for which availability is provided. A DSG may be comprised of one representative or multiple representatives, depending on the structure of the representative’s practice group.

Designated Scheduling Required Information

  • A DSG is a scheduling group of a representative’s choosing. It can include only one representative, or multiple representatives. If a representative opts to provide availability for a consolidated group of representatives, the DSG will contain multiple representatives.
  • The representative must provide us information about the DSG, even if the representative is a solo practitioner. In that case, the DSG will include only that representative, and it will be considered a scheduling group of one.
  • The representative is responsible for determining the composition of the DSG and for choosing the name of the DSG.
  • Before the first month that the representative provides hearing availability, the representative must provide OHO with information regarding the representative’s DSG. The representative only needs to provide this information one time, unless there are subsequent changes to the DSG. A DSG may be modified in the future by written request.
  • OHO will use the DSG to track availability for hearings for the DSG. On a monthly basis, representatives will provide hearing availability for the DSG. In the context of providing monthly availability, representatives will be required to inform OHO about the number of representatives in the DSG available for hearings and the monthly availability for each.
  • For the purpose of creating a DSG, a representative is not required to tell us the exact number of representatives affiliated with the DSG. However, the representative is required to provide the name of at least one representative associated with and responsible for providing availability for the DSG and may provide the names of additional representatives affiliated with the DSG if desired.
  • For the purposes determining whether to provide names of affiliated representatives as part of DSG, a representative may want to list individual representatives as an official part of a DSG if those representatives are closely associated with the DSG, such as a partner, associate, or other employee/of counsel, and generally do not handle cases for other groups or firms. This is particularly true if the affiliated representatives appear on 1696s at the time that availability is submitted or at the time in the scheduling cycle that the NCSCs begin to schedule the cases. Contract representatives who handle hearings for multiple firms, business entities, or other groups of representatives would generally not be listed as part of a DSG, though would count as an available representative for the purposes of providing monthly availability.

Representative Availability Portal

Establishing Portal Use
To begin using the Portal, you first must establish a my Social Security account. You can create your my Social Security account through our credential service providers, Login.gov or ID.me. For more information on the online services available and how to create an account, go to the What is an Account and Create an Account pages.

If you have difficulties creating or accessing a my Social Security account, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time or contact your local Social Security office.

In order for individuals authorized to submit availability for your DSG to be registered for the Portal, please provide to the ELU the following information.

  • DSG Name,
  • Names of each requested Portal user for your DSG,
  • A phone number for each user,
  • Confirmation that each user has a my Social Security account,
  • Indicate whether each user is a RASR-registered representative,
    • For RASR-registered representatives, include the individual’s RASR ID.
    • For other users of the Portal (e.g., office staff, scheduling coordinator, etc.), a member of the External Liaison Unit (ELU) will contact them at the telephone number provided to obtain their social security number over the telephone. SSNs are required for these users to complete the Portal registration process. DO NOT SEND ANY SSNs IN YOUR REPLY EMAIL, EVEN IF ENCRYPTED. These users can also call us directly at 1-866 -964-1714 to provide their SSN. 

Once your DSG registration for the Portal is complete, we will send you an email with the Portal link, a Portal User Guide, and other information.

If availability is entered through the Portal, do not also send an email with availability for the same TSM.

There is no limit to the number of Portal users per DSG. Modifications to Portal users should be directed to the ELU by email at OHO.NSD.NSS.ELU.General.Inquiries@ssa.gov.

Entering Availability through the Representative Availability Portal
Entering the Representative Availability Portal will first take you through your my Social Security account. Once past the credentialling process, you will be at the landing page of the Portal. If there is an issue with that navigation, you can enter the following URL in your browser: https://secure.ssa.gov/dcps/internet-scheduling.

On the main landing page, your DSG will appear in the Group dropdown. Selecting your DSG and the Availability Period (TSM) will bring up the check box if you wish to submit No Availability for the Selected Period or a Monthly Case Cap, both of which are optional. Following is a new field, the required Time Zone field and Max Reps Per Day. This brings you into the Availability Information screen for those representatives in the selected time zone. Once all the Availability Information has been added, if you need to add additional representatives who are associated with another time zone, use the Save and Add Availability button to add representatives for as many time zones as you need.

When you are ready to Save and Submit all your availability information, the Availability Summary for Group screen will reflect all availability entered across all the time zones.

This will allow for a thorough review prior to selecting the Confirm and Submit button. Overnight your submitted availability will be transferred to SSA’s scheduling software. The Representative Availability Portal User Guide has step-by-step instructions for submitting availability through the Portal, including details on how to complete the Availability Information screens in a quick and easy manner.

Portal Limitations

Once you submit your availability, the Representative Availability Portal cannot accept modifications in availability. Any modifications after your initial availability submission must be emailed to RepAvailability@ssa.gov. Subsequently, if you send modifications by email, the portal will not reflect any of those changes. It will always reflect the originally submitted availability entry.

A user login session will time out after 30 minutes of inactivity. If attempting to save or submit inputs after a session has timed out, the user will receive the following message: "We cannot process your request at this time. Please try again later.” If you receive this message, you should clear your cache and cookies, then make the inputs and save or submit.

Designated Scheduling Groups (DSG)

A DSG is a group of representatives for which availability is provided. A DSG may be comprised of one representative or multiple representatives, depending on the structure of the representative’s practice group.

Some representatives, such as those in firms, business entities, or other groups, prefer to provide availability for a consolidated group of representatives, rather than for individual representatives. Representatives who wish to provide us their monthly availability must first set up a DSG.

Representatives structure their practice groups in a variety of ways. Some representatives handle a case individually from start to finish, and will personally attend a hearing with a claimant.

Other representative practice groups may be larger, and these practice groups may assign hearing coverage to other partners, associates, or contract representatives closer in time to the hearing. These types of practice groups often prefer to provide SSA consolidated availability for a group of representatives.

If a representative or practice group wishes to provide availability for a consolidated group of representatives, the DSG will contain multiple affiliated representatives. SSA will use the DSG to track availability for hearings for the group. On a monthly basis, representatives will provide hearing availability for the DSG to the External Liaison Unit (ELU), and local hearing offices, National Hearing Centers and the Special Review Cadre will schedule hearings pursuant to availability provided for the DSG. All representatives who wish to provide availability must be part of a DSG. Submitting information about a DSG is the first step in the scheduling process. Representatives only need to complete this step one time, unless the representative or practice group wants to make changes to the DSG. The ELU is not able to accept monthly availability submissions from a representative who is not part of a DSG.

Before providing their first availability submission, representatives must communicate their DSG information to us by encrypted email. Representatives are responsible for determining the initial composition of the DSG and may modify the DSG in the future via encrypted email.

DSG Information
  • A DSG is a scheduling group of a representatives choosing. It can include only one representative, or multiple representatives. If a representative opts to provide availability for a consolidated group of representatives, the DSG will contain multiple representatives and will be considered a “consolidated” DSG.

  • A representative must create a DSG and provide us information about the DSG, even if the representative is a solo practitioner. In that case, the DSG will include only that representative, and it will be considered a scheduling group of one, or a “solo” DSG.

  • Representatives are responsible for determining the composition of the DSG and for choosing the name of the DSG.

  • Before a representative can provide monthly hearing availability, the representative must provide the ELU with information regarding their DSG. Representatives only need to provide this information one time unless the representative wishes to make subsequent changes to the DSG. A DSG may be modified in the future via email.

  • SSA will use the DSG to track availability for hearings for the DSG. On a monthly basis, representatives will provide hearing availability for the DSG. In the context of providing monthly availability, representatives will be required to inform the ELU about the number of representatives in the DSG available for hearings and the monthly availability for each. See the “How to Submit Representative Availability” tab for more information.

  • A representative is required to tell us the names of all representatives “affiliated” with the DSG. An affiliated representative of a DSG is a representative who is closely associated with the individual representative or group of representatives for whom availability will be submitted by the DSG. For example, in the case of a firm or larger practice group that will submit consolidated availability, affiliated representatives would normally include partners, associates, other practice group employees, or of-counsel attorneys who generally do not handle cases for other groups or firms. This is particularly true if the affiliated representatives appear on the SSA-1696 at the time that availability is submitted or by the time in the scheduling cycle that the hearing offices, National Hearing Centers, or Special Review Cadre begin to schedule the cases.

    • Contract representatives who handle hearings for multiple firms, business entities, or other groups of representatives would generally
    • not be listed as part of a DSG, though they would count as available representatives for the purposes of providing monthly availability.

        • For example, Doe and Associates is comprised of 1 partner, Doe, and 2 associates, Brown and Smith. Doe contracts with contract representative Jones to handle 10 cases per month. Doe would not list Jones in the DSG, but would note Jones' availability in the monthly scheduling availability.

    • Submission or Modification of DSG Information

      Representatives should submit initial DSG information and requests to modify existing DSG information by encrypted email to the following email address:
      OHO.NSD.NSS.ELU.DSG.REP@ssa.gov

      For general inquiries, representatives may contact the ELU by email or telephone:
      OHO.NSD.NSS.ELU.General.Inquiries@ssa.gov

      Phone:
      Toll-free 1-866-964-1714
      Monday through Friday
      8:00am to 5:30pm Eastern Time.

      Privacy Notice: Sections 205(a) and 206 of the Social Security Act, as amended, and 404.1740(b)(3)(iii) of the Code of Federal Regulations, allow us to collect this information. We will use the information you provide to us to schedule hearings for your DSG and to communicate with you. The information you provide is voluntary. However, failing to provide all or part of the requested information may prevent accurate and timely scheduling. We will manage your information in accordance with our Internet Privacy Policy.

    • Required DSG Information
    • Representatives must submit the following DSG information prior to submitting monthly availability to the ELU:
      • The name of the DSG
        • The name should include the name of the firm or the representative, or both. For Consolidated DSGs, the name must include the name of the practice group. Extraneous language, such as “Esq.” or “DSG,” should be avoided. No two DSGs can have the same name.
        • For example: Jane Doe Group, or Doe and Associates/Patty Jones

      • The name of all Affiliated Representatives
        • We require the name(s) and SSA-issued Registration, Appointment and Services for Representatives (RASR) Representative ID(s), if any, of any representative(s) affiliated with the DSG.

      • DSG type (and modification, if any). See the “DSG Types and Modification” tab for more information.
        • Solo
        • Solo with Solo Secondary modification
        • Consolidated
        • Consolidated with Hybrid modification
        • Consolidated with Unlimited Availability modification

      • Contact information for the DSG:
        • Name of contact person(s) (this may be a representative or another individual, such as a scheduling coordinator)
        • Address
        • Telephone number(s)
        • Fax number, if any
        • Email address (the email address provided will be used for scheduling purposes)
        • EIN(s), if any, associated with the DSG

    REMINDER: Do not send Personally Identifiable Information (PII) via unencrypted email. The DSG information requested above is PII and must be encrypted prior to emailing the information to us.

    Encryption instructions are located here: EMAIL ENCRYPTION INSTRUCTIONS

    Please include only the minimal personal information that is necessary for your DSG, as outlined above. When contacting the ELU, do not send any claimant or case specific PII.

    Please note: Unless part of a Solo Secondary DSG, a representative cannot be affiliated with more than one DSG unless each DSG has a different EIN. For example, if Jane Smith is an affiliated representative with one DSG, she cannot be in a second DSG if that second DSG has the same EIN. She can be an affiliated representative in two or more DSGs if each have different EINs. Similarly, more than one DSG may have the same EIN, so long as each DSG has different affiliated representatives.

    DSG Types and Modifications

    DSG Types: Solo and Consolidated

    When submitting Designated Scheduling Group (DSG) information, representatives must choose a DSG type. The two types of DSGs are Solo and Consolidated.


    Solo Type
    Consolidated Type
    Recommended for Practice Groups that:
    Recommended for Practice Groups that:
    • Consist of solo practitioners, or
    • Are larger practice groups that assign coverage of hearings to a specific representative at the start of the hearing process before the hearing is scheduled.
    • Internally assign available representatives to hearings after the hearing has been scheduled.

    DSG Type Examples

    • Attorney John Doe is a solo practitioner who represents claimants before SSA. He is the only affiliated representative in the DSG. His DSG is named John Doe. John Doe has created a Solo DSG.
    • Jane Doe owns and runs a large law firm that has many associate representatives. She also utilizes contract representatives to cover hearings in certain geographic locations. Jane Doe does not attend hearings. Her DSG includes herself and all associate representatives as affiliated representatives. Her DSG does not include contract representatives as affiliated representatives. She names her DSG Jane Doe Law Firm. Jane Doe has created a Consolidated DSG.

    DSG Type Monthly Availability Submission Examples

    Solo Type

    • The representative who will appear at the hearing must submit the SSA-1696 as either a principal or non-principal representative by the time monthly availability is submitted.
    • The DSG will usually only include one affiliated representative.
    • Monthly availability submissions will include only one available representative for the DSG
    • Example of Solo DSG availability:
      • The representative is available all days, full days in Eastern time zone, except unavailable on 08/23; max hearings 4 per day.

    Consolidated Type

    • At least one representative affiliated with the DSG must appear on an SSA-1696, by the time that availability is submitted.
    • Example of Consolidated DSG availability for Available Representatives:
      • Representative 1: Available all days beginning at 9:30am Eastern time.
      • Representative 2: Available full days on Tuesdays and Fridays. Available beginning at 9:30am Eastern time on Mondays and Wednesdays.
      • Representative 3: Available all days, full days Eastern time except 08/23.

    DSG Modifications: Hybrid, Solo Secondary, and Unlimited Availability

    There are three available DSG modifications: Hybrid, Solo Secondary, and Unlimited Availability.

    • Only Consolidated DSGs can opt for the Hybrid or Unlimited Availability modifications.
    • Only Solo DSGs can opt for the Solo Secondary modification.
    • A DSG may have no more than one modification.


    Hybrid Modifications
    Hybrid Modification
    Recommended for DSGs that:
    • Typically, internally assign available representatives to cases after the hearing has been scheduled, but
    • Want to ensure that a particular available representative’s availability is used when scheduling remand or supplemental hearings.
    • At least one Representatives affiliated with the DSG must appear on the SSA-1696, at the time that availability is submitted.

    • Some or all available representatives are identified by name when submitting monthly availability.

    • Individual representative availability will only be considered when scheduling for remand or supplemental hearings. For all other cases, SSA will not match a particular case to a particular identified available representative’s availability.

    • In order for a particular remand or supplemental hearing to be scheduled with a particular representative, that representative must submit a 1696 as either a principal or non-principal representative by the time monthly availability is submitted for the Target Scheduling Month (TSM). Additionally, that representative must be an affiliated representative of the DSG.

    • Example: Availability submission for Consolidated DSG type with Hybrid modification:
      • Representative 1 (A. Associate): Available all days, full days in Eastern time, except unavailable on 08/1.

      • Representative 2 (B. Associate): Available full days in Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays. Available beginning at 9:30am on Mondays and Wednesday.

      • Representative 3: Available all days, except 8/23, full days, Eastern Time.

      • Representative 4: Available all days beginning at 9:30am Eastern Time.
    Solo Secondary and Unlimited Availability Modifications
    Solo Secondary Modification
    Unlimited Availability Modification
    Recommended for Practice Groups that:
    Recommended for Consolidated DSGs that:
    • Maintain a principal representative on all SSA-1696s submitted for the practice group throughout the hearing process.
    • Assign coverage of hearings for some or all of the practice group’s cases to specific non-principal representatives from the practice group at the start of the hearing process/before the hearing is scheduled.
    • Do not want to submit consolidated availability for the practice group. Instead, want to ensure that the specific non-principal representative’s availability is used when scheduling hearings for the non-principal representative’s assigned cases.
    • Have sufficient representatives to cover all scheduled hearings in all regions, no matter when the hearing is scheduled.
    • Want to provide ongoing unlimited representative availability instead of providing monthly availability.
    • Understand that by selecting this modification, we will schedule hearings for the DSG at any time.

    Solo Secondary Modification

    • The DSG will provide availability for a representative who appears as a non-principal representative on the SSA-1696.

      • Both the non-principal representative for whom availability will be provided and the representative who appears as the principal representative on the non-principal representative’s cases must be affiliated with the DSG.

      • Both the principal and non-principal representative affiliated with the DSG must appear on the SSA-1696, at the time that availability is submitted. If the non-principal representative is not included on a 1696 by the time that monthly availability is submitted, we will not be able to associate a particular case with the availability submitted by the DSG.

      • Both the principal and non-principal representatives’ names must be part of the DSG.

      • Monthly availability submissions will include only one available representative.

    Unlimited Availability Modification

    • The DSG is not required to submit monthly availability. SSA will schedule hearings for dates and times without limitation.

    • Specifically, we will schedule hearings for the DSG at any time, without consulting any availability or requested maximum hearings for a TSM. We will assume there is no limit to the number of available representatives for the DSG, such that multiple hearings for the DSG may be scheduled on the same day at the same time, even within the same region. Hearings will also be scheduled without ensuring buffer times for travel or for scheduling hearings on the same day with different ALJs.

    • If the DSG subsequently is no longer able to provide unlimited availability on an ongoing basis and wishes to provide monthly availability, the DSG must first email the ELU by encrypted email to remove the Unlimited Availability modification and to modify the DSG.

    Scheduling FAQs

    Glossary of Terms