Nov 4, 2020

If You Can Use Digital Signatures, Why Can't We?


      From a Social Security newsletter (emphasis added):

We are required to conduct continuing eligibility reviews for disabled beneficiaries every three years. This process requires that beneficiaries complete a Continuing Disability Review mailer to update information about their medical conditions and recent treatments.

We now offer an online option to complete this update and provide any supporting documents about your medical treatment or your work.

We designed this new form with convenience in mind—and to save you time. You can access the online form at www.ssa.gov/ssa455-online-form. (Use either Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome for the best online experience.) ...

Once you “Click to Sign,” you will receive an email from echosign.com asking you to confirm your digital signature. Check your junk folder if you don’t receive it within a few minutes. Your signature isn’t complete—and your form won’t be processed—until you complete the instructions in your email.

     I think this is the first time I've seen Social Security accepting digital signatures. Attorneys have been complaining for some time that Social Security won't accept digital signatures on documents submitted by attorneys.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe they have been accepting them on 827s for quite a while. When it is convenient for them, they apply one standard..... The answer to your question, why can't we? is that the SSA believes it makes the law and is not required to comply with any law it doesn't like.

Anonymous said...

SSA is implementing the use of electronic signatures in the eCBSV program also. Seems the only time they don't allow them is when a representative is involved. Why is that?

Anonymous said...

Because you cant trust someone who is going to make money from their actions.

Anonymous said...

Really 1:25? How many attorneys do you think are going to risk losing their license and going to prison for an average fee of around $3000? Thank you for the example of ridiculous BS that comes from government bureaucracies. From the news I've seen, there are a lot more SSA employees stealing from the agency than reps. So, I guess we can't trust SSA employees, can we?

Anonymous said...

9:33 - spot on, except that the average fee is really $1,000 per case when you factor in the around 33% approval rate. So I estimate each case that comes into my office will net me 1k. Hardly lucrative.

Anonymous said...

Can you trust any lawyer? Look, you can even find a lawyer to file against counting ballots!

You think a desperate atty wont cheat? REALLY? smh

Anonymous said...

@9:51

Wait...is your approval rate seriously 33%?