Press Release

 

Press Release  (En español)

Tuesday, July 21, 2026
For Immediate Release

Barton Mackey, Press Officer
press.office@ssa.gov

Social Security Administration Announces New Online Tools and Notices for Disability Claims
Agency enhances online platform to expand service for disability cases

Baltimore, MD – The Social Security Administration (SSA) today announced major enhancements to my Social Security, expanding self-service options and the notices available to individuals navigating the disability claims and appeals process. The new tools will provide individuals with greater visibility, faster access to information, and more efficient case processing throughout the lifecycle of a disability claim.

“Our digital-first approach to service is now extending to disability through the Claim Status Tracker, expansion of digital notices, and online document submission, enabling SSA to deliver better outcomes for the American people,” said Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano. “By making more tools available online, we are empowering claimants to stay informed and manage their Social Security benefits with greater ease and confidence.”

“These digital tools will streamline operations and empower claimants to stay informed and promptly respond to important developments throughout the hearing process, eliminating the need for hearing offices to make outbound calls and instead, focus on reviewing cases in a timely manner,” said Chief of Disability Adjudication Jay Ortis.

Enhancements to my Social Security

Submit Disability Adjudication Forms Online: Individuals can now complete and submit disability adjudication forms directly through their personal my Social Securityaccount, including:

• Form HA-4631, Recent Medical Treatment;
• Form HA-4632, Medication Information; and
• Form HA-4633, Work Background.

Online submission helps ensure adjudicators receive information quickly and supports more efficient case processing.

Track Disability Claim Status Online: Individuals with a pending disability claim, appeal, or recently adjudicated claim can now view the status of their case online at the Hearings and Appeals levels. The Claim Status Tracker provides real-time updates, processing time estimates, and key milestones throughout each level of adjudication. Features include:

• Notification when the hearing office receives a Request for Hearing;
• Status updates as the hearing office reviews information and prepares the case for hearing;
• Status updates when a hearing decision is issued; and
• Appeals Request for Review status updates, receipt of review requests, and completion of actions.

Access Proffer Letters Securely: Individuals can securely access proffer letters in the my Social Security Message Center. A proffer letter is a notice sent when new evidence is added to a case after a hearing, allowing claimants to review and respond before a decision is made.

Access 26 Additional Social Security Notices in my Social Security Message Center: Individuals can view electronic copies of their hearing-related notices by logging into their personal account. The following notices are now available for digital release to accountholders:

• Notice of Hearing
• Request for Good Cause for Late Filing
• Request to Withdraw a Hearing Request
• Please Contact Us
• Postponement of Hearing
• Amended Notice of Hearing
• Notice of Continued Hearing
• Notice of Ways to Attend a Hearing
• Request for Hearing Acknowledgement Letter
• Notice to Show Cause for Failure to Appear
• Response to Request for Expedited Processing
• Good Cause Found to Reschedule Hearing
• Transfer Request for Hearing
• Claimant Questionnaires
• Waiver of Timely Written Notice
• Time to Submit Evidence
• On the Record Notice
• ALJ Approval of Fee Agreement
• ALJ Disapproval of Fee Agreement
• Important Notice About Representation
• Notice of Closing the Record
• Notice Regarding Substitution of Party Upon Death of Claimant
• Congressional Letter
• Letter Template
• Claimant Restriction Letter
• Case Status Letter
• Notice of Hearing Reminder
• Proffer Letter

Claimants may opt to receive email or text notifications when new documents are available. Paper notices will continue to be mailed to claimants and their appointed representatives. This enhancement supports faster case processing and timely communications.

SSA continues to increase the functionality of my Social Security to ensure that the more than 100 million Americans with accounts have a seamless experience when accessing their personal information. With an account, individuals have 24/7 access to their personalized retirement benefits and 1099 forms, can receive tailored notifications, request a replacement card, manage benefits or estimate future benefits, request replacement documents, check the status of pending applications, and conduct other services anytime, anywhere, without needing to visit an office or wait on the phone.

Visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount to create a personal account.

For more information about Social Security’s services, visit www.ssa.gov.

Bisignano Spied On Employees At JP Morgan Chase

      From the Wall Street Journal:

Frank Bisignano, the head of the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration, sits atop two government organizations that store vast reams of sensitive financial data about every taxpayer.

But when he was the co-chief operating officer at JPMorgan Chase, he spied on fellow executives—using his authority over the security department and position to access sensitive information and internal communications, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke with the Wall Street Journal.

After years of complaints about his behavior, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon told Bisignano he would support him finding a job elsewhere. Once he left, investigators from the legal department found digital traces of the spying activity, including records that showed email access, and the bank instituted new rules requiring approval from the legal department

Courtney Forrest, an attorney for Bisignano, denied that that he never spied on co-workers. She said he “never directed anyone to look through any employee’s or executive’s communications or engaged in any form of surveillance.”…

     “Support him finding a job elsewhere.” Is that something like getting fired? 

     Update: An attorney for Bisignano says that he  “never directed anyone to look through any employee’s or executive’s communications.”

Multiply This Sort Of Thing By 100,000 And Then You’ll Know Why Service Is Actually Declining At SSA

      From WUSA:

For 59-year-old Mary Gates, returning to work was supposed to be a step toward greater independence.

Instead, when her work-study job ended, Gates said her Social Security disability benefits stopped too. She spent months trying to get them restored, falling behind on bills before Legal Aid D.C. helped resolve her case. …

Gates told WUSA9 she took a work-study job at the University of the District of Columbia. When the program ended in March, she said her benefits also stopped.

"In the process of it, they also ended my Social Security," Gates said.

She said she repeatedly contacted the Social Security Administration but struggled to get answers. …

"I had gotten behind on all my bills," Gates said. "They're telling me, 'Well, we're still working on it.'"

Without the monthly payments she depended on, Gates said she feared she could lose her home before the issue was resolved. …

     When I say multiply by 100,000 I’m not just talking about disability claimants who return to work and then stop. I’m talking about all the myriad ways that things may get out of whack or need to be updated. They’re not tracking the delays in doing these sort of things or at least they’re not releasing the numbers if they do. And you may have to multiply by a lot more than 100,000 to get the full scope of the problem. It’s “fast-tracking”, i.e., doing the easiest work first, on a massive scale, leaving cases that involve even a little complexity unworked on for months and months. It’s maddening both for the claimants and the employees.

COLA Projection

      The Senior Citizens League is estimating that the 2027 Social Security COLA will be 3.8%. That’s one percent higher than last year.

Is It Sensible To Make It More Complicated For Someone To Pay You Money They Owe?

       From Social Security:

Social Security Transitions to Electronic Remittances - What You Need to Know

Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Dear Colleague,

We are writing to share important information about how individuals can repay money they owe to the Social Security Administration (SSA). In support of Executive Order 14247, Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account, we are expanding secure digital payment options to make repayment faster, safer, and more convenient.

We are updating our notices to include electronic repayment options for individuals and will no longer ask individuals to mail checks or credit card forms to repay their debts. Mailed payments can be lost, delayed, or intercepted, which may put personal and financial information at risk. By highlighting secure electronic payment methods, we aim to reduce delays and provide a safer, more reliable repayment experience.

Individuals can make secure online payments through Pay.gov using their Remittance ID. They may also use their bank or credit union’s online bill payment service by selecting “Social Security Administration” as the payee and entering their Remittance ID in the account number field.

Individuals who cannot use the online options can call the Debt Management Unit at 1-855-807-8807, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time.

For more information, visit the Repay Overpaid Benefits page.

Please share this information with your members, colleagues, affiliates, and other interested parties.

Sincerely,

Nick Perrine

Chief Communications Officer

New Caseload Analysis Report

      The Social Security Administration has released its Caseload Analysis Report for its hearing functions. It shows a declining number of ALJs and an increasing backlog despite throwing a ton of overtime at the problem.

NYT On Service At SSA

      The New York Times has a new piece out about service at Social Security. There’s nothing much new in it. The sad thing is that they’ve been bamboozled into believing service is improving at the agency.

Typical Politicians

      From CBS News:

 A bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill on Tuesday designed to shore up Social Security's finances in the coming decades and prevent future benefit cuts for the 70 million Americans who rely on the program. …

The legislation, called the Promise Act, would not itself raise taxes, reduce benefits or change eligibility. Instead, it would direct the bipartisan, seven-member Social Security Advisory Board to draft a bill, informed by public input, to keep the program's trust funds solvent for at least the next 50 years. …

Any proposal developed by the advisory board would be introduced in the House and Senate by congressional leaders before being considered by committees, which could hold hearings and revise the legislation. To become law, it would need a three-fifths vote in the Senate and a majority vote in the House.

The Promise Act's additional sponsors include Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana; Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia; Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina; and Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine. …

     This is ridiculous. No panel of experts will come up with a bill that will draw widespread support. There’s no clever way of solving the problem that will hurt no one. You either raise taxes, which no Republican will support, cut benefits which no Democrat or Republican will support or you pay benefits out of general revenues, which no one will support as a long term solution but may have to accept. This bill is nothing more than pretending you’re doing something when you’re doing nothing. 

     A bill that combines tax increases and benefits cuts is a trap for Democrats. Republicans would probably provide a few votes to get such a bill passed and then campaign against Democrats for cutting benefits and raising taxes while laughing up their sleeves at the naïveté of the Democrats. Better for Democrats to wait until they control the White House and both houses of Congress so they can solve the problem with tax increases alone. Of course the filibuster stands in the way of doing this but that’s got to go at some point.