Important Update for Appointed Representatives!
Date: September 24, 2020Starting September 19, 2020, we added the ability for Appointed Representatives (ARs) to access their cases pending at the initial and reconsideration levels, including continuing disability review cases. ARs can now view these documents in the Disability Related Development and Medical Evidence sections of the eFolder. These are sections E and F, respectively.
Since 2011, Appointed Representative Services (ARS) has provided the ability for ARs to access their clients’ electronic folders (eFolders) for cases pending at the hearings and appeals levels.
ARs already enrolled in ARS have immediate access to their initial and reconsideration level cases. If an AR cannot access a case at the initial and reconsideration levels, it is likely their SSA-1696 (Appointment of Representative) is not yet processed. They will have access as soon as the field office processes their SSA-1696. As a reminder, ARS will suspend a user’s account when they have attempted to access 10 SSNs in a 24-hour period for which they are not the representative of record (i.e., cases where the 1696s are not processed). ARs who have been blocked from their account should contact the Electronic Records Express (ERE) Helpdesk to have their account unblocked. We strongly recommend ARs keep this limitation in mind when accessing initial and reconsideration cases.
The Office of Hearings Operations will continue the current process of enrolling ARs who have cases pending at the hearings or appeals levels. ARs who only have cases pending at the initial and reconsideration levels are not eligible to enroll at this time.
Please remember ARs have a responsibility to protect the data and information in claimant folders. This includes information about the claimants and their evidence providers (i.e., EIN/TIN).
Update on Social Security Hearing Offices
Date: September 18, 2020At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we took unprecedented measures to protect both the public and our employees. These measures included closing our more than 1,400 field and hearing offices to in-person service; allowing our employees to work remotely; and pausing certain actions that could have resulted in a continued reduction, suspension, or termination of benefits or payments under titles II, VIII, or XVI of the Social Security Act (Act).
Beginning on August 31, 2020, we resumed these workloads, including certain hearings-related workloads that had been paused since mid-March, including:
- Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) and Age-18 Redeterminations hearings and decisions; and
- Non-disability hearings and decisions.
At the same time, we continue to recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic may give rise to circumstances that may constitute good cause for missing an appeal deadline or failing to appear at a scheduled hearing. On August 31, 2020, we provided guidance to hearings offices that administrative law judges may resume issuing dismissals for late-filing of a hearing or failure to appear at a hearing.
To ensure hearing offices are appropriately issuing these types of dismissals (late filing or failure to appear at a hearing), hearing offices will now develop the record for good cause by issuing a Request to Show Cause for Late Filing or Failure to Appear notice.
This added step provides one more opportunity, beyond our COVID-19 emergency procedures, for claimants to provide good cause for failure to meet filing deadlines or to appear at their telephone hearings. In addition to this added step for late-filing/failure-to-appear dismissals, we have temporarily expanded our traditional in-line quality reviews of hearing dispositions to focus on ensuring that dismissals are policy-compliant.
Help Spread the Word: Extended IRS Deadline for Economic Impact Payments!
Date: September 15, 2020Please join us and our partners TODAY, SEPTEMBER 15, for a Social Media Day of Action to raise awareness about the IRS’ extended September 30 deadline for Social Security and SSI recipients to enter their child’s information in the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool to receive the $500 Economic Impact Payment (EIP) this year. For your convenience, here is the content we plan to post on our social media channels.
IRS Extends Deadline to Ensure People with Children Receive $500 Economic Impact Payments. Learn more
We hope you will join in sharing this urgent message with the public. The extended deadline is fast approaching and applies to people who:
- Receive Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability benefits, or SSI payments;
- Did not file a 2019 or 2018 tax return;
- Have a qualifying child under age 17; and
- Who did not already enter information in the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool for themselves and at least one child.
If your client already entered information in the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool before and even after the IRS’ previously announced deadlines (April 22 for Social Security beneficiaries; May 5 for SSI recipients), your client does not need to do anything for those children. However, you may need to file a tax return next year, please visit the IRS website to learn more. The IRS will automatically make a payment in October based on the information your client provided.
Most adult Social Security and SSI beneficiaries should already have received their $1,200 individual EIPs. Beneficiaries who do not usually file taxes can use the Non-Filers tool – but they must act by October 15, 2020, to get their payment this year.
The IRS plans to issue electronic EIPs on November 4, 2020 and to issue paper check EIPs on November 6, 2020 to Social Security and SSI beneficiaries who started receiving their monthly benefits on or after January 1, 2020. If, however, they used the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool and have not received their EIP yet, it will likely arrive in October.
Please note that Direct Express cardholders who use the IRS’ Non-Filer tool will not receive their $1,200 payment on their Direct Express card. They will receive both their $1,200 payment and each child’s $500 payment on a non-Direct Express bank account they provide the IRS, or by mail if they leave bank information empty. If they do not use the Non-Filer tool, they will receive their $1,200 payment on their Direct Express card.
We encourage you to read the latest information from the IRS, and share this information with your members, colleagues, affiliates, and other interested parties. Tell them to act now to receive their Economic Impact Payment this year.
Join Us – National Disability Forum on COVID-19 and SSA Programs: Serving Our Beneficiaries Through Unprecedented Times
Date: September 9, 2020We cordially invite you to participate in Social Security’s next National Disability Forum on COVID-19 and SSA Programs: Serving Our Beneficiaries Through Unprecedented Times. The forum is on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 and will be held via teleconference from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET with an hour lunch break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET.
The purpose for this forum is for us to learn from a diverse group of third parties that help people access our services on how they’ve adapted their service models during the pandemic to continue to provide needed assistance and what we can do to help them be successful. In addition, we will hear from government agencies on how they have modified their operations to provide services during the pandemic. There will be two sessions.
Morning Session 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
The Advocate Experience: Best practices and lessons learned for connecting seniors, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations to benefits and other critical services during the pandemic.
Afternoon Session 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET
The Governmental Agency Experience:
Adapting policies and procedures to continue to serve the public during the pandemic.
Please register online by Friday, September 18, 2020 if you wish to participate.
We hope you can join us and we look forward to your participation. To learn more, please visit the National Disability Forum.
Social Security Expedites Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities: Agency Adds to Compassionate Allowances List
Date: August 17, 2020Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced the addition of five new Compassionate Allowances conditions.
Compassionate Allowance is a program to quickly identify severe medical conditions and diseases that meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits.
When a Social Security or Supplemental Security Income claim involves a Compassionate Allowance condition, we can often make a decision quickly and minimize the time required to begin paying benefits.
Please see our press release for more details.
For more information about the program, including a list of all Compassionate Allowances conditions, please visit our Compassionate Allowances page.
You’re invited to comment on the Council on Economic Mobility’s Request for Information
Date: July 31, 2020The Council on Economic Mobility (Council), a new federal interagency effort, is seeking input through a request for information (RFI).
The Council seeks to build an integrated federal strategy to promote economic recovery and resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The information gathered in response to the RFI will help inform the Council’s priorities, working group activities, stakeholder engagement, and federal programs.
The RFI is open for comment until October 2, 2020; however, we encourage early submissions.
New – Medicare Part B Online Filing Option
Date: June 23, 2020We are making it easier for people already enrolled in Medicare to conduct business with us!
To assist beneficiaries who have stopped working and are seeking immediate enrollment into Medicare Part B, we have developed an online option to complete and submit their enrollment forms.
Medicare beneficiaries can now apply for Medicare Part B, complete CMS-40B and CMS L564-Request for Employment Information, and also submit evidence of Group Health Plan or Large Group Health Plan online.
Please visit How do I sign up for Medicare Part B if I already have Part A? for more information.
The 2020 Social Security Trustees Report Is Out Now
Date: April 22, 2020Today, the Social Security Board of Trustees released its annual report on the long-term financial status of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Funds.
The combined funds are projected to become depleted in 2035, with 79% of benefits payable after that time. The DI Trust Fund is estimated to become depleted in 2065, with 92% of benefits still payable.
To learn more, please visit www.ssa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/#4-2020-5.
SSI Recipients Will Receive Automatic COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments
Date: April 16, 2020The agency announced this week that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive automatic Economic Impact Payments directly from the Treasury Department.
SSI recipients with no qualifying children do not need to take any action in order to receive their $1,200 economic impact payment.
SSI recipients who have qualifying children under age 17, however, should now go to the IRS’s webpage at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here and visit the Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info section to enter their information. By doing so, they may receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment.
For more information on this additional guidance, read the latest press release.
Advance Designation is Now Available
Date: April 6, 2020We updated our Representative Payee Program offering an option to beneficiaries and applicants for Social Security benefits to provide Advance Designation. Advance Designation allows beneficiaries and claimants to designate preferred individual(s) to serve as payee should the need arise, and requires SSA to select the designated individual with certain exemptions.
Advance Designation allows all capable Title II, Title VIII, and Title XVI adult and emancipated minor applicants and beneficiaries to designate a representative payee in advance when applying for benefits or with their my Social Security account.
Advance Designation provides beneficiaries more control over their financial future, reduces instances of elder abuse, and will help SSA find qualified representative payee candidates more quickly. Learn more about this update here.
A New Way to Sign Up for Medicare Part-B
Date: April 15, 2020As you know, as of March 17, 2020 we closed all local Social Security offices to the public for in-person service due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand that due to current circumstances, beneficiaries may have difficulties submitting their Medicare enrollment forms by mail.
To assist beneficiaries who have stopped working and are seeking immediate enrollment into Medicare Part B, we have developed a method for beneficiaries to fax their enrollment forms.
Now Medicare beneficiaries can fax Medicare Part B form, CMS-40B and CMS L564- Request for Employment Information, along with proof of employment, Group Health Plan (GHP), or Large Group Health Plan (LGHP) to 1-833-914-2016, if unable to mail the forms directly to your local Social Security office. To find your local office mailing address, please use our Social Security Office Locator.
Please visit our Social Security & Coronavirus information page to get updates on the latest, including how to get help from the Social Security Administration by phone and online.
Advance Designation is Now Available
Date: April 6, 2020We updated our Representative Payee Program offering an option to beneficiaries and applicants for Social Security benefits to provide Advance Designation. Advance Designation allows beneficiaries and claimants to designate preferred individual(s) to serve as payee should the need arise, and requires SSA to select the designated individual with certain exemptions.
Advance Designation allows all capable Title II, Title VIII, and Title XVI adult and emancipated minor applicants and beneficiaries to designate a representative payee in advance when applying for benefits or with their my Social Security account.
Advance Designation provides beneficiaries more control over their financial future, reduces instances of elder abuse, and will help SSA find qualified representative payee candidates more quickly. Learn more about this update here.
Social Security’s Inspector General Warns of New Benefit Suspension Scam
Date: March 30, 2020SSA’s Office of the Inspector General has received reports of Social Security beneficiaries receiving letters through the U.S. Mail stating their payments will be suspended or discontinued unless they call a phone number referenced in the letter.
Unfortunately, this is the latest twist on the ongoing scams affecting the American public. The scammers are misleading beneficiaries into providing personal information or payment via retail gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or by mailing cash, to maintain regular benefit payments during this period of COVID-19 office closures.
For more information, we encourage you to read this blog from our Inspector General. And as always, please report Social Security scams using our dedicated online form. Please share this information with your friends and family, to help spread awareness about Social Security scams.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Important Information about Social Security Services
Date: March 19, 2020All local Social Security offices are closed to the public for in-person service as of Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This decision protects the populations we serve—older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions—and our employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are still able to provide critical services.
Please visit our Social Security & Coronavirus webpage to get updates on the latest, including how to get help from the Social Security Administration by phone and online.
Check Out Our New Representative Payee Portal!
Date: March 03, 2020 We are making it easier for those serving as a representative payee to conduct business with us! We have launched our new centralized Representative Payee Portal where individual representative payees with a my Social Security account can:
Select “my Social Security” to use the Representative Payee Portal for your own business:
- Estimate your future benefits
- Print your online Social Security statement
- Request a replacement Social Security card (in qualifying states)
- Get a proof of income letter
- Change your address, if you receive benefits
Select “Representative Payee Services” to conduct business for your beneficiaries:
- View current benefit details
- Update or enroll in direct deposit
- Complete annual accounting
- Report wages
If you serve as a Representative Payee, we encourage you to check out the new Representative Payee Portal.
Learn about becoming a representative payee and all the requirements by:
New Rule Modernizes How We Award Disability Benefits
Date: February 24, 2020Your clients deserve a timely and accurate decision regarding their disability claim. To help us do that, we must modernize the rules and standards we use to evaluate how we determine disability benefits.
We updated a rule that has been in the works for a number of years and updates an outdated policy that made the inability to communicate in English a factor in awarding disability benefits. Learn more on our blog about why we are making this much-needed change.
We Need Your Help to Fight Social Security Phone Scams!
Date: December 19, 2019In the last year, Social Security phone scams have skyrocketed, becoming the #1 type of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission and Social Security.
To help reduce these types of fraud, Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul and SSA Inspector General Gail Ennis have announced the launch of a new online form to report Social Security phone scams.
Please help us raise awareness about the scam and reporting suspicious phone calls to the online form. You can find more information on this important topic by visiting our Social Security Matters Blog.