You Can Issue Orders But You Need Personnel To Execute Them

      From Emergency Message 26-011

… We are establishing new timeframes for early case actions for certain priority case types at the initial level of adjudication. Staff must follow the instructions in this EM until we publish the revised POMS.

· Presumptive Disability or Blindness Cases


IMPORTANT: A claimant, including a child, applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) based on disability or blindness, may receive up to 6 months of payments prior to the determination of disability or blindness if he or she is found to be presumptively disabled or blind and meets all other eligibility requirements. To make a PD or PB finding, the available evidence must reflect a high degree of probability that the claimant’s impairment or combination of impairments meets the statutory definition of disability or blindness. The FO will add PD/PB flag in EDCS prior to DDS case transfer.


FO/WSU
o The FO or WSU must schedule an appointment within 3 workdays of claimant contact or referral from the 800 number.

o FO/WSU enters disability information into EDCS and within 2 workdays transfers to the DDS for certified electronic folders, and within 7 workdays for non-certified electronic folders. 



DDS


DDS must receipt cases within 2 workdays of FO/WSU transfer (7 workdays for non-certified electronic folders) and assign to an adjudicator by the next workday. 
· Inquiries from Public Officials 


IMPORTANT: An inquiry from a public official is a request for information that comes from a U.S. Congress member or state or local official about a disability claim. Cases with an inquiry from a U.S. Congress member are flagged as Congressional Inquiry. Cases from any other public official are flagged as Public Inquiry. For the purpose of this EM, inquiries from public officials other than Congress members are referred to as “Non-Congressional.”

IMPORTANT: For “Inquiries from Public Officials,” prioritization means providing a timely and responsive answer to the official, not expediting the related disability case unless it already qualifies for expedited processing (e.g., CAL, QDD, Terminal Illness (TERI), Dire Need). Administrative staff should ensure prompt communication with the official and review the case for any expedited processing flags.

FO/WSU



Congressional and Non-Congressional Inquiries: 

Upon receipt of the inquiry, review and reply to the inquiry within 20 workdays. If the claim, matter, or issue does not meet criteria to be expedited, provide an interim response and set a diary to provide a response every 30 days until case processing is complete.

DDS

Congressional and Non-Congressional Inquiries: A response is due within 7 calendar days from the date of receipt of a congressional inquiry and 14 calendar days from the date of receipt of a non-congressional inquiry. Inquiries referred to SSA by the White House should receive a substantive or final reply within 9 working days. A final reply is due within 20 calendar days after the date of the acknowledgement. If the DDS cannot make a final reply within that time-period, send an interim response. Make any subsequent communication, either interim or final, within 30 calendar days after the date of the prior reply to the inquirer. 

 

· Delayed Cases 


IMPORTANT: Delayed cases are those which are at a work station for a time considered to be excessive when measured against normal case processing experience. The period of time for considering a case “delayed excessively” is normally 70 calendar days. To effectively identify such cases, a flagging procedure is followed at the various work stations, i.e., Field Operations, WSU, Risk and Quality, Central Operations Portfolios, and DDS. A flag attached at one station will remain on the case through all subsequent operations including final handling in Central Operations/Processing Centers. 

IMPORTANT: The “Delayed Case” flag is not applicable at the Hearing or Appeals Council adjudicative level, as these components do not use this flag when applying standards for case processing. 

FO/WSU


Any initial-level case in the FO/WSU that has been delayed excessively from the filing date of the application must be flagged for expedited processing and transferred within 2-3 workdays after receipt of all necessary information. 

DDS

The DDS must assign a case within 2–3 workdays to initiate case development upon receipt of:
o An initial case from the FO/WSU that meets delayed case criteria, or any other shorter period as specified by the Central Operations/Processing Centers, if the case has not been properly identified as a delayed; or

o Any case, including reconsideration cases, continuing disability review (CDR) cases, or cases returned by the Central Operations/Processing Centers or by Risk and Quality for additional consideration, that has remained at the FO for 70 days or more after the application, reconsideration request, or CDR initiation date.



If additional time is needed, a status update must be provided to the claimant within 15 workdays of initiating development.



· Homeless Cases 


IMPORTANT: A claimant is homeless if they do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. SSA also considers claimants homeless if they expect to lose current accommodations within 14 days, and will not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime 

residence. The FO/WSU will flag the claim as “Homeless” and complete all necessary forms (e.g. Function Report, Work History Report) whenever a claimant alleges, or case information indicates, the claimant is homeless. If needed, DDS can add the flag, Homeless, in the Disability Case Processing System (DCPS) or eView.

FO/WSU


Upon receipt of the case, complete all required forms during the initial interview and do not curtail completion. Transfer the case no later than the next workday.

DDS

Upon receipt in DDS, expedite assignment of homeless cases no later than the next workday. …