Oct 6, 2015

Now If They Could Do An Honest Recalculation Of The Attorney User Fee ...

     A notice from Social Security in today's Federal Register:
We provide fee-based Social Security number (SSN) verification services to enrolled private businesses and government agencies who obtain a valid, signed consent form from the Social Security number holder. ...
To use CBSV [Consent Based Social Security Number Verification], interested parties must pay a one-time non-refundable enrollment fee of $5,000. Currently, users also pay a fee of $3.10 per SSN verification transaction in advance of services. We agreed to calculate our costs periodically for providing CBSV services and adjust the fees as needed. ...
Based on the most recent cost analysis, we will adjust the fiscal year 2016 fee to $1.40 per SSN verification transaction. New customers will still be responsible for the one-time $5,000 enrollment fee.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Honest Inquiry: Do you believe that the $91 is too much or too little?

Anonymous said...

I believe $91 is too much if it is an assessment of actual costs. If its in part a revenue generator, then I don't think $91 is too much for the service I am receiving. But just call it what it is then.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 1:52. It costs SSA $91 to multiply by .25 with a set maximum, write a check and then mail it or do a bank transfer? That $91 figure is padded more than a room full of king size mattresses.

Is it worth $91 for an attorney to not have to track down SSI clients and persuade them to voluntarily pay the legally earned and agreed to attorney fee? Probably so. One client skating with a $6K attorney fee would justify the cost of about 66 of those $91 fees. It does, however, leave a person with the feeling of having his pocket picked.

Anonymous said...

FYI they are not talking about the attorney assessment; it is the fee SSA charges to verify SSNs.