We are revising EM-12004 REV 3 to update the processing steps of the form SSA-1695 (Identifying Information for Possible Direct payment of Authorized Fee) as they will take place in RASR. ...
We are revising this EM policy to reflect that effective immediately, we will no longer send manual acknowledgement notices to representatives after processing the SSA-1695, since RASR release 1 will send this notice automatically. In addition, we will no longer redact and fax the processed SSA-1695 into the electronic folder (EF). Instead,we will properly dispose of the form, since the acknowledgement notice sent automatically by RASR will serve as our record of the processing. ...
I don't know what RASR stands for.
The bottom line is that Social Security is altering its process for recording the fact that an attorney is representing a claimant. I always cringe when Social Security makes this sort of change. Any alteration in this sort of process is disruptive. We can hope the disruption will be favorable -- easier processing for Social Security with fewer mistakes -- but in the short run there's probably a greater potential for mistakes.
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Registration Appointment Services for Representatives
RASR is something that was laid out in the Vision 2025 initiative from SSA. It was referenced but gave little detail. There have been whispers about it from some field offices. The updated material on Vision 2025 doesn't say too much from what I can find. Older material at least mentioned it.
From what I can gather it sounds like they want reps to do more "self service". It's possible that it may give more access to the files at the earlier levels of application and appeal kind of like ASR at the hearing level. Not sure though. As already mentioned, anything out in the wild about it is extremely vague.
Sorry, correction to 10:06 post...ARS...not ASR...
Am I correctly understanding that the form won't change, just the acknowledgment of its submission? Will it ever be electronically submitted?
Registration, Appointment and Services for Representatives (RASR) - RASR will allow -aAppointed representatives to perform all their Social Security business online. II. REDUCE THE HEARINGS BACKLOG. Waiting time for hearings for disability appeals are longer than the American public deserves. Resolving this public.
1695 acknowledgements will be sent from a central location. Should make receipt of certain notices easier to obtain and not rely on Claims Reps to manually mail them.
To David 10:51
I would love to be able to do all my business with SS online. I want to be able to submit my 1695, 1696, and fee agreement electronically with the initial application and not just appeals. Right now I can't. I want to be able to attach evidence to the application electronically. Right now I can't. I want to be able to access the file at the State Agency and to check status of cases at the initial level and at reconsideration. Right now I can't. I would like to be able to file the Request for Review online rather than fax to the AC on their one fax line that is busy more than it is not.
When you receive the 1695, I would like you to always note that I am part of a law firm and not fail to do so about 10% of the time causing tax issues when I receive multiple and erroneous 1099's. By the way, I would like SS to recognize there is such a thing as a law firm and provide for not just individual access to files but law firm access to files.
Frankly, I doubt that all of these things would have an impact on the backlog since I think the real problem is elsewhere, but at the very least, it would reduce back office time and problems at the DO and in my office faxing and relaxing the same documents that are not properly inputed in the first place.
If RASR does even a few of these things, I would be happy. I'll believe it when I see it and not before.
I was hoping they would do something that actually made sense, like understanding there are things called law firms, made up of lots of individual lawyers, and recognizing firms instead of just individual attorneys.
People in the field offices want SSA to acknowledge that law firms exist, too. Multiple individual reps from one firm remove cases from automated processing, causing multi-step, multi-day, multi-claims rep actions - and making everything more error prone. We would love for reps to submit all of their documents with the claims, but would settle for having you submit them all at once. Getting everything piecemeal means more paper to sort through, and we often can't take actions until we have everything that is required. While we're at it, can we acknowledge that field offices are not staffed to do all of this clerical work to ensure that attorneys get paid? RASR is a start. At least we no longer have to input the 1695, black out the SSN with magic marker, fax the 1695 into the electronic folder and send a manual notice. There are many other things we, too, would like to see improved in the representative fee process. If only we could all work together to make the process more efficient.
Online submission of HA-520 is coming this summer.
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