Social Security has issued a transmittal to its Program Operations Manual Series (POMS) dealing with "Suspension or Disqualification of Representatives." The changes mostly concern the new requirement that those who represent claimants deal with the agency electronically as much as possible. Agency employees can share their experiences but I haven't heard anything suggesting that there have been serious problems getting compliance with this new requirement. The biggest problem I've seen has been that Social Security's systems often make it impossible to file an appeal electronically.
1. Failure to provide competent representation (Example):
ReplyDelete"Before the hearing John Rep, the appointed representative, submits the wrong evidence. He is ill informed about the process, and unfamiliar with Social Security laws. At the hearing, the representative is unfamiliar with the issue(s) or the applicable Social Security laws and regulations or with the facts of the case. During the course of the hearing, it becomes evident that the representative is unprepared to ask questions, argues the wrong issue, or cites the wrong title or rule."
I strongly hope SSA will enforce this rule so we can get rid of the "hand holders" who are primarily competent at collecting a fee. I'm talking about both attorneys and non-attorneys.
Thank you I STRONGLY AGREE~~~~!!!
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