There has been one prominent exception in Social Security's rush to make it possible to file claims for benefits online -- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims. It looks like that exception will soon end. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, Social Security and other agencies must seek the approval of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for any new form that the agency may ask the public to complete and that includes online forms. Social Security has just sent over a request for approval of forms for the "Modernized SSI Claims System (MMMICS)" and this includes a request for "MSSICS/Signature Proxy." This sure sounds like an online form to me.
Great, so now everyone and anyone could log on and file an SSI claim without regard to eligibility requirements. Imagine if anyone could file a lawsuit by just going online--how long would our court system last? same for SSA field offices.
ReplyDeleteMSSICS is the program FOs have used for years that replaced the paper forms. I don't see anything in this proposal that implies SSI is going online. If SSI were online, at least later on when they're overpaid, they can't say they weren't asked the question if they filled out the form themselves!
ReplyDeleteIf SSI is going online and the initial claim will be self-help, SSA need to come up with a way to request proofs of all income, resources and living arrangements immediately so that if it is not provided the day DDS makes a favorable decision, the SSI claim can be denied for failur to cooperate. Either that, or SSA has to loosen the goal for paying the claim when approved from 30 days to 60 days. I would not trust any claimant for SSI benefits to give fully correct information on an online claim. Few of them give fully correct information when asked face-to-face if the CR only asks the questions as written in MSSICS.
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