From EM-2004 issued on Friday:
We are publishing a revised Form SSA-1696, Claimant’s Appointment of a Representative. The revised SSA-1696 incorporates information from the Form SSA-1695 and the Form SSA-1696-U4 and has two new supplements: SUP1 (Claimant’s Revocation of the Appointment of a Representative) and SUP2 (Representative’s Withdrawal of the Acceptance of an Appointment). The supplements are already available online in fillable format.
The revised SSA-1696 updates and reorganizes all parts of the older form SSA-1696-U4, and collects additional information about the appointed representative (AR) from the Form SSA-1695. The consolidation of these forms facilitates the collection of comprehensive data on a single form for faster and more accurate processing.
We incorporated the SSA-1695 into the revised SSA-1696 to reduce manual steps, encourage earlier submission of payment information, and minimize loss of personally identifiable information. Upon publication of the revised SSA-1696, we will make Form SSA-1695 obsolete. Processing of the SSA-1695 requires multiple manual steps that can lead to errors. In addition, ARs often submit the form late in the administrative process, which in turn, can delay the authorization of fees (note that neither the hearing office nor the Appeals Council can process the SSA-1695). Finally, for AR’s who have registered, the new Form SSA-1696 allows for the use of the Representative Identification (RepID) instead of the AR’s Social Security Number (SSN). We have included space for the RepID on each page of the revised SSA-1696, which will make easier to associate pages that become separated during transmission with the proper claims file. ...Despite what this says, I'm not seeing the new form SSA-1696 online.
4 comments:
My understanding at least is the new form will have space for the ID number assigned to all registered representatives (starting about ten years ago) so that when inputed there will be no need for the 1695 and it will make it harder, not impossible, for the SSA to "forget" to note that a person in represented.
I was told by an adjudicator later confirmed by a DDS director that approximately 50% of cases in the State Agency do not contain the filed representation information. When I receive a 1099 on cases where I am paid, in approximately 10% of all cases the form does not note that I am part of a law firm.
Simply, the existing system that is so prone to error and mistake has been a failure. That it has taken so long to make even this small step, that may or may not actually work, is a reflection on an Agency that just does not care about seeing that their clients are properly represented.
or a way to slow down claim mills filing on every single LTD case regardless of merit. And swapping "Representatives" like socks because they quit, move into ALJ roles at the NHC or were never really involved in the case to begin with and talk with the Claimant the first time a week before the Hearing. Reps like to cast stones at the agency and act like they are the white knights beyond reproach, actually, they are just as inept, just as uncaring, and just as lazy as the agency.
@2:31:
"or a way to slow down claim mills filing on every single LTD case regardless of merit."
The terms of LTD Plans normally require the claimant to file for Social Security Disability benefits regardless of merit or they reduce their benefit by the estimated level of SSDI benefits.
The terms of LTD Plans also normally require the claimant to appear at the hearing regardless of merit.
Neither the claim mill or SSA really want anything to do with LTD own-occupation cases in which the claimant does not meet Social Security's definition of disabiltiy.
I have now seen the new form. What a mess. Now, there are four pages to enter information on instead of the prior two forth 1695 and 1696. You have to enter the claimant's SS number five times, twice on the same page 3, and it does not propagate from the first to last. You have to enter the Appointed Representative Rep ID five different times, once on each page, and twice on page 4 and the PDF form does not propagate the number to each page. You have to enter the Representative Name and Address on Page Four and same information for the firm on page Five. Also, on page five, you have to enter the Taxpayer ID number for the firm, even though the SSA does not recognize law firms as proper representatives.
All of this information has to be rekeyed by a SS employee when the paper form is submitted or attached to an appeal since nothing on the form is propagated to SS files without further input. And, if the DO employee leaves something out, like the EIN, the fees eventually paid get misreported as individual income rather than firm income.
All SS really needs to do is figure out a way to take the Rep ID number and automatically link it to the rep address, phone number, email and individual file when the case is filed. They do this is District Court every day. One entry of the ID number, one time, even possibly done as part of the filing, with a verified electronic signature for e-filers.
Seriously, did anyone who does this work actually look at what this form does and not notice it makes it worse.
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