From a recently released Emergency Message:
A. Purpose
This emergency message (EM) provides policy guidance and processing
instructions for handling protective filings established by the Online
Protective Filing Online Protective Filing tool which was released into
production on March 19, 2022.
B. Background
... The Online Protective
Filing tool is a public-facing web tool to submit a request for an
appointment to file for benefits and record a protective filing date for
individuals who cannot contact us by phone or does not wish to utilize
existing Online Services, such as the Internet Claim (iClaim)
Application. The request can be submitted by an individual interested
in benefits for themselves, or on behalf of certain other individuals.
Upon submission, a protective filing date is established. The Online
Protective Filing tool fills gaps in existing online methods for
establishing a protective filing date for (or on behalf of) potential
claimants of any age interested in receiving Supplemental Security
Income (SSI).
The Online Protective Filing tool is targeted to individuals interested in filing for SSI. The Online Protective Filing tool will:
- · Collect responses to preliminary screening questions,
· Determine the applicable Title II and Title XVI claim types,
· Establish Title II and Title XVI protective filing dates, and
· Provide appropriate closeout language for both Titles (in certain situations).
Band Aid on a sucking chest wound.
ReplyDeleteAnd typical for SSA these days I just tried it with a client and received this message:
ReplyDelete"We cannot process your request at this time.
Please try again later, or if you need immediate help to schedule an appointment, please contact us."
Just another workload for the already overstretched FO.
ReplyDeleteThe lead is entered into ELAS but someone in the FO actually needs to go in and schedule an appointment. They haven't figured out who at the FO will be doing this yet and secondly this will eat up all the appointments so don't expect getting a call before mid-May.
ReplyDelete9:18
ReplyDeleteYou are being exceptionally complimentary... I'd say this is like treating a gash on the forehead with a tourniquet...
Isn't this more like "just take a pill for it." when you need dialysis? I mean, what does it really do? Putting lipstick on a pig?
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hearing from customers who actually use the tool instead of the gaggle of critics here.
ReplyDeleteHere is what I see...
ReplyDeleteHere is a new tool for protective filing that you the number holder have to do all the steps because we are not going to answer the phones and make the entries into the system that would have protected you because we are working from home, and petting our dog and doing the laundry is way more important than getting your benefits started with the proper date.
I like it so far, we shall see how it is administered. I have made two appointments so far, fairly simple, better than calling the FO twenty times and waiting on hold and being disconnected. So far, so good. Once it would not allow me to schedule "we cannot process your request at this time", but I called and they set it up. Couples claim anyway, the bane of my existence.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good way to protect a filing date. That is valuable. I don't expect that people will actually have their claims taken--or even get scheduled to have their claims taken--particularly quickly, but it's a good thing for SSA to offer. I don't understand why the system needs hours of downtime every night, and I will be curious what percentage of people who start the tool get the error message a previous commenter noted. But protecting filing dates is good.
ReplyDelete