From Emergency Message EM-23041 issued yesterday:
This Emergency Message (EM) notifies technicians of a new online service option called Upload Documents that customers can use to electronically submit certain technician-requested evidence and forms. Technicians will initiate the request through the Technician Experience Dashboard (TED). ...
We will release Upload Documents on July 8, 2023. The initial rollout will be limited to the Boston Region offices using TED.
Upload Documents can be used to serve Title II, Title XVI, and Title XVIII beneficiaries, as well as individuals who do not currently receive benefits from SSA.
Initially, technicians will be able to use Upload Documents to request a small number of forms that do not require a signature (Section F). During release 2, we will update Upload Documents to include additional forms, including some forms requiring a signature. Customers will be able to sign and submit these forms using Upload Documents’ electronic signature (“eSignature”) functionality. We will discuss the eSignature process for Upload Documents in a future EM.
Upload Documents will also allow technicians to request certain pieces of evidence. ...... TED is a new technician-driven SSA interface that will help modernize and streamline our interactions with customers.
When a technician determines that SSA needs a certain form and/or evidence that is on the list of items currently accepted for Upload Documents, the technician can initiate the request using TED. Before initiating the request, the technician will first contact the customer regarding the request, offering the use of Upload Documents. If the customer is interested in using Upload Documents to submit the requested evidence or form, the technician will obtain the customer's consent to receive a one-time email from SSA, containing an access link and instructions for Upload Documents. The technician will be able to view a customer’s previously registered mySSA email address, where applicable. The customer can choose to receive the one-time Upload Documents email at the previously registered email address, or at a different email address. If the customer consents to receive a one-time Upload Documents email, the technician should verify the customer’s preferred email address. The technician will then select the forms and evidence that are needed from the customer within TED (see screenshot below). ...
It says something, doesn't it, that this is named for the "technician experience" rather than the claimant or customer experience.
Are they still going to insist on calling the claimant to ask "Is this really your signature?", which defeats the whole point of using an online system for uploading documents? I wonder how often claimants say "No, I didn't sign that." Maybe, never. You have to be careful but you don't have to be paranoid.
8 comments:
This will go nowhere. Another feel good initiative by some SSA "leader" looking to add some new pet project to their resume so they can try to get their next promotion in a few years.
"Before initiating the request, the technician will first contact the customer regarding the request, offering the use of Upload Documents. If the customer is interested in using Upload Documents to submit the requested evidence or form, the technician will obtain the customer's consent to receive a one-time email from SSA, containing an access link and instructions for Upload Documents."
Anyone who has ever worked in an FO/WSU knows that claimants rarely answer their phones, lots have full voicemails/not set up voicemails so can't leave a message, and the rest are weary that SSA is even calling them. This is the dumbest part of the whole EM. When someone signs up for an online account, make this consent process part of the terms of service.
It is for documents not requiring a signature or certification/original. Wages. Rental agreement. 3368. etc. SSA is usually so quick to release half-baked applications that make our jobs harder and then TED is actually super useful and they are slow on the rollout. Go figure.
O for heavens sake, lighten up. You know the city bus that has the bendy part in the middle? That's SSA, and this is the first half of the bus turning towards simpler and faster and better tracked info submissions for claimants and beneficiaries. The back half is coming along shortly.
It will not go perfectly, because the scale of the user base (technicians plus claimants/benes) is so large. Let's try it before we shoot it out of the sky, please.
SSA really needs to reconsider this consent policy for all electronic documents and signatures. I can almost guarantee this is not required by statute, and it basically defeats the purpose of IT improvements if every document requires multiple steps to successfully upload and process. They need to build this into the claimant online accounts -- which serves as a form identify verification itself. Or at the very least, only verify documents AFTER they are uploaded. The mailed request for evidence letter could also include a unique identifier code, with step by step instructions for how to upload via the account and/or via email.
Who is designing these IT processes, and why do they always seem to require multiple manual staff operations? SSA needs to focus on efficiency and IT automations -- the managers at SSA are far too risk adverse. Why wouldn't two step electronic verifcation for these document uploads work for claimants? It works fine for SSA accounts and attorney ERE access.
This is release 1 and for one region. Give it some time. Isn't this a step in the right direction?
Actually Charles, I did have someone say they did not sign any of the documents. She was adamant that she didn’t even file an application. She said someone (one of the national application factories) asked her some questions but she wasn’t aware it was the application. She stated she was browsing online about the disability process and she got a pop-up on her screen asking her if she needed help with the process. Very ethical.
11:21 lives in the real world.
Assuming this TED is the one I’m thinking of, they are shoehorning functionality into existing software. So I would hesitate to draw conclusions based on the name.
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