Online Representative Availability Portal Coming

    An e-mail I received from Social Security:

The Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) is pleased to announce the release of the Representative Availability Portal (Portal) as part of the Enhanced Representative Availability Process (ERAP). The Portal is a dynamic, modern, and user-friendly website that allows representatives, through their Designated Scheduling Groups (DSGs), to provide us their availability for hearings. While you can still email your monthly availability to us if you choose, the Portal is a simpler and more convenient way to provide us your availability.   

We plan to register Portal users over the next several months as part of a phased national rollout, ultimately offering the Portal as an option for all representatives in 2025. If you are interested in registering individuals to submit availability through the Portal on behalf of your DSG, please send an email ... to ...

    Anything would be an improvement over the mess we've got now, both for attorneys and Social Security.

A Little Help From GSA

     From a press release issued by the General Services Administration (GSA):

The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) announced its latest round of investments totaling $50.2 million, aimed at modernizing critical services across two federal agencies. ...

With $19.5 million in TMF support, SSA aims to transition to a more efficient, user-friendly service featuring electronic signature capabilities and a robust online document upload platform. By 2028, SSA anticipates reducing paper mail volume by roughly half and saving over 600 staff work years annually. For the public, this could potentially save customers up to 1.3 million hours in travel time. ...

SSA plans to use $9 million in TMF support to create user-centered design guidance, build new digital tools, and modernize current backend systems for an enhanced customer experience. This effort aims to simplify notice language, create more digital options for receiving notices, and transform how SSA connects with applicants and beneficiaries. ...

As medical records grow increasingly complex and staff resources remain limited, SSA faces challenges in processing disability claims efficiently. To address this, SSA intends to use $1.9 million in TMF support to enhance several key systems, including the National Case Processing System and the Intelligent Medical-Language Analysis Generation tool. ...

    I don't see an explanation for the other $10 million.

Limited Ability To File SSI Claims Online To Begin In December

    From a press release:

Today, the Social Security Administration announced a large step in a multi-year effort to simplify processes for people who are applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) by starting to offer an online, streamlined application for some applicants starting in December. SSI provides monthly payments to people with disabilities and older adults who have little or no income and resources.

The initial step – known as iClaim expansion – aims to establish a fully online, simplified iClaim application that leverages user-tested, plain-language questions, prepopulated answers where possible, seamless step-by-step transitions, and more. The online application aims to reduce the time spent applying as well as the processing time for initial claim decisions. ...

The rollout of the iClaim expansion will generally be available to first-time applicants between 18 and almost 65 who never married and are concurrently applying for Social Security benefits and SSI. A goal of the second phase – currently targeted for late 2025 – is to expand this to all applicants. ...

    This rollout is quite limited -- concurrent claims for people who have never married. Why is it limited in those ways other than to hold down the number of claims filed in this manner?  It's like they want to say they're doing it even though they're only barely doing it.

Online Accounts Changing

     From a press release:

Today the Social Security Administration announced that customers who created an online account (e.g., my Social Security account) before September 18, 2021, will soon be required to transition to a Login.gov account to continue access to their online services. Over five million of these account holders have already transitioned to Login.gov.

The agency is making the changes to simplify the sign-in experience and align with federal authentication standards while providing safe and secure access to online services. ...

NY Times On Social Security Scams

     The New York Times is running a piece on the ongoing scandal of criminals, by hook or crook, obtaining enough information about a person receiving or eligible to receive Social Security benefits and then convincing the Social Security Administration to divert those benefits to the criminals. It happens thousands of times a year and involves tens of millions of dollars. It goes on and on with no apparent fix in sight.

Social Security Needs More Offices In Rural Areas, Not Fewer

Bryan County, OK

     From Barriers and Communications Preferences of Rural Populations: A Scoping Review by Megan Henly, Shreya Paul, Debra Brucker, Andrew J. Houtenville, Kelly Nye-Lengerman and Stacia Bach

Key Findings:


Rural areas of the United States warrant separate attention when considering how to communicate information about federal programs in part because their geography affects how information can be shared effectively (remoteness results in greater distance between field offices and lower level of broadband internet access) and in part because rural communities have a higher representation of many program-eligible groups (e.g., those older than 65, those who have a disability, and those who are low-income).

Mode of program communication affects the likelihood of the information reaching the public. Traditionally, the Social Security Administration mailed statements to all workers. In addition, private-sector employers often trained new hires about funding their retirements during orientation. As both these forms of communication have been substantially reduced since 2011, the public’s knowledge of OASDI benefits has been low.

When considering the general shift toward online information dissemination, this is a particular concern for those in rural areas, people with disabilities, and groups with low digital literacy. Broadband access is not as ubiquitous in rural areas as it is in nonrural ones. Perhaps as a result, many who reside in rural places are digitally illiterate and would have difficulty navigate online. In addition, most federal websites do not meet federal accessibility guidelines, creating a barrier for those with disabilities.

Community context is important, particularly when considering program enrollment that may carry a stigma, such as SSI or food and energy assistance. Identifying local community partners who can provide technical assistance may help. For communities of particularly marginalized groups (e.g., the unhoused, those recently released from prison, low English proficiency individuals, and those with serious mental health disabilities), having dedicated staff trained in dealing with populations facing vulnerabilities may be particularly useful. ...

ERE Only Partially Functional

     Social Security's ERE system that attorneys use to access their clients' files is only partially functional this morning.

    Does this also affect Social Security's internal systems?

CCD Comments On SSI iClaims

     The Coalition For Constituents With Disablities (CCD), the major umbrella organization of non-profits who help the disabled, has sent comments to the Social Security Administration on its plan to allow electronically filed claims for Supplemental Security Income. Here are a few excerpts:

.. We would like to express our general support for SSA’s efforts. For too long, there has been an unnecessary divide between SSI and SSDI claimants. SSDI claimants could complete their applications for benefits completely online, while SSI claimants were subjected to long wait times at Field Offices, or over the phone, to complete an application for benefits.

The process for applying for SSI is labyrinthine and confusing. Our members seeking SSI report often being met by well-meaning, but overworked employees prone to misunderstandings and mistakes. Further, SSI recipients are among the most at-risk members of society, and SSI benefits are often their families’ only source of cash available to pay for shelter and other necessities.  ...

The proposed request indicates that third-party assisters may use iClaim to apply for an applicant. It also indicates that after a third-party assister completes the application, the applicant will be required to either physically sign the application, or verbally attest to its contents telephonically. However, if a claimant is using the online system to provide this information, it seems unnecessary to require either a wet signature or verbal attestation by an employee. In our experience, claimants are still having difficulty receiving mail, particularly in poorer areas. Further, requiring SSA employees to call claimants also adds an extra, unnecessary burden on employees. SSA should explore allowing claimants to sign their application at a later time and complete an e-signature. ...

The proposed request notes that “iClaim uses dynamic pathing, which ensures claimants are only asked to complete the questions that are relevant to them.” In principle, this seems to be a positive development. We commend SSA’s goal of ensuring the application process is streamlined as much as possible. That said, SSA should make public how the dynamic pathing process will work. ...

Yet Another Golden Oldie

     A post on this blog on June 9, 2020:

    The Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) has issued a brief report recommending that the Social Security Administration "use evidence-based measures to evaluate access to agency services" which isn't the most exciting recommendation you'll find even in the context of government advisory board reports. There's another more complete report which adds detail. However, the brief report includes this chart which I think is far more interesting than the text in either report. (Click on the image to view full size.)

  

    What I get from this is that the dramatic increase in internet services provided by the Social Security Administration has had almost no effect upon the demand for services provided in person or over the telephone. 

     The idea that Social Security can wean the public off personal service so that in the future the public will just deal with the agency through its online services is bunk. There's no reason to expect that's ever going to work. By all means, provide online services but don't expect that online services will ever replace field offices and telephone service.

SSI Coming To iClaims

     From a notice published today by the Social Security Administration in the Federal Register (footnote omitted):

... SSA is embarking on a multi-year effort to simplify the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application process. ...

As part of this effort, our goal is to develop a fully online, simplified SSI application process. As an important step toward that goal, we are currently planning to implement in late 2023 the SSI Simplification Phase I initiative, or iSSI. iSSI will be a pathway in the existing Social Security internet Claim (iClaim) System that will streamline and shorten the SSI application for Title XVI disability applicants. iClaim is an online portal the public can use to apply for multiple types of Social Security benefits. Currently, this includes Retirement, Spouse's, and Disability Insurance benefits (DIB) (Title II SSDI).  ...

Title XVI applicants who want to use the internet to apply for SSI will use the iClaim system to initiate the application process and establish the protective filing date of the application. Applicants filing for themselves can authenticate online using one of our existing authentication methods, while applicants assisting others can use iClaim without authenticating. Although SSA encourages respondents to authenticate in iClaim, they can continue to use the system without authentication. 

 When applicants who use iClaim authenticate themselves, the iClaim system can use some information already within SSA records. For all applicants, the iClaim system will prompt the Social Security Disability (Disability Insurance Benefit (DIB)) questions and pre- populate the applicant's answers within the iSSI portion of the iClaim pages. The applicants would then only need to answer simplified eligibility related questions, excerpted from the deferred SSI application, that will form the core of iSSI. These are what SSA refers to as ``basic eligibility questions.'' 

After answering the DIB and SSI basic eligibility questions, applicants will be automatically transferred to other existing steps within the SSI Application iClaim path, such as providing medical information (using the i3368, OMB No. 0960-0579) and signing a medical release using the i827 (OMB No. 0960-0623). This process will be seamless to the applicant, as the iClaim system will take them from page to page without interruption. Once the applicant submits the information online, SSA technicians will review it for completeness and send it to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) to make a disability determination. ...

New Upload Documents Service

     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.

Redesigned SSA Web Site

     The Social Security Administration has issue a press release saying that they've redesigned their website. The press release says that the agency's website is getting about 180 million hits a year.

e-1696

     Maybe I missed some announcement but I just discovered that Social Security has an online e-1696 form. The 1696 form is the one that claimants sign to appoint an attorney or other representative. It's basic and important for those of us who represent claimants. Social Security processes hundreds of thousands of them a year.

    The only problem I see is that the e-1696 relies upon docusign or something like docusign to get the claimant's signature. I've tried to use docusign for other paperwork and found that it flummoxes my clients. Few of them are able to handle it. I think that may tell you something about the ability of Social Security claimants to handle online systems.

My Social Security Redesigned

     An announcement from Social Security:

We have exciting news to share! We redesigned my Social Security!

It’s now easier for your clients who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to do business with us online and find the information that they need.

With the new design, people who receive Social Security benefits or SSI are now able to update their telephone number online and see more information under the Benefits and Payments section. People who receive Social Security benefits can also change their address and direct deposit information under the My Profile tab.

While signed into their personal my Social Security account, your clients can continue to:

• Get their Benefit Verification or proof of income letter.
• Obtain replacement SSA-1099/SSA-1042S tax forms, if applicable.
• View their Social Security Statement.
• Request a replacement Social Security card.

Your clients can access their redesigned my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

    Now, if they'd just allow those who have pending disability claims to access their earnings records or file retirement claims ...

ERE Down -- Again

     Social Security's ERE system that allows attorneys to access their clients' Social Security records online is down -- again. At least it can't be accessed in the normal way. This is happening more and more often.

    I hesitate to post them here for fear that it will cause them to crash but there are alternative URLs for ERE that seem to work. Maybe Social Security should post them if they won't cause the system to crash any more than it has already crashed.

You Can Comment On Forthcoming SSA.Gov Website

      From a Social Security blog:

We are excited to share a preview of our new website coming this year. ...

The new design – we call it our beta website – seeks to improve your online experience, so you can get to the information and services you need faster. We also include new interactive tools, like our new benefit eligibility screener. It’s a convenient way to learn if you might be eligible for benefits, without needing to know what benefit programs are available from Social Security.

Your opinion is very important to us. We invite you to explore our beta website at beta.ssa.gov and to use the “Feedback” button on the right side of the screen to tell us what you think. You can visit the website on your computer, tablet, and smartphone.

The beta website is a work in progress. Some links you select may take you to webpages on the current SSA.gov. ...

Online Protective Filing Tool Released

     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).

 Once the appointment request is submitted, the Online Protective Filing request is sent to the Enhanced Leads and Appointment System (eLAS) to create a record for further action. If the individual does not complete all required fields to submit the Online Protective Filing inquiry, or the submission fails, no data is saved or sent to eLAS, and no protective filing date is established. ...

What Does It Tell You If Less Than Half Of People File Their Social Security Retirement Claims Online?

      From a piece by Alicia Munnell, the director of the Boston College Center for Retirement Research for Market Watch:

The Social Security Administration faces an enormous challenge to maintain its services as retiring baby boomers increase the demand and budget constraints and retiring staff limit the agency’s capacity to deliver.  ...

To investigate how individuals claimed or intend to claim their retirement benefits, my colleague JP Aubry surveyed 2,600 people ages 57-70. The responses showed that, while 60% of respondents applied or intend to apply online (a somewhat higher share than the SSA data show), only 43% of respondents claim completely online — that is, without contacting SSA in-person or by phone. Scaling the survey results to the SSA data for online applications suggests that 37% of retirees claim completely online  ...

To better understand the factors associated with online claiming patterns, JP estimated a regression that relates respondents’ demographic characteristics to full online claiming (see Figure 3). Two of the characteristics most associated with claiming completely online are the use of online banking and Turbo Tax — both of which are proxies for a high level of comfort with online financial tools. Additionally, claiming completely online is associated with living in a metropolitan area, being college educated, and being married. On the other hand, the characteristics most associated with not claiming completely online are — essentially — being nonwhite. ...

In response to in-depth questioning, respondents identified four reasons for contacting an SSA representative: 1) complex issues that clearly require an SSA representative, such as discussing the specifics of spousal and survivor benefits; 2) general aversions to online services, like a concern about data privacy; 3) straightforward inquiries that could be addressed without contacting a representative, like checking the benefit amount and eligibility; and 4) obstacles to online claiming that could be remedied by SSA service improvements, such as fixing data errors.  ...

     Note that this piece concerns retirement claims, not the more complicated survivor claims, not to mention the vastly more complicated disability and SSI claims.

Who Uses Online Filing And Who Doesn't

      The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College has issued a report titled How to Increase Usage of SSA's Online Tools. I don't know that the report presents any new ideas but it does include this interesting chart which shows what groups are and aren't filing online:

Click on image to view full size

Redesigned Statements Get Positive Reviews

      Social Security has redesigned the statement that potential beneficiaries can access online to tell them about their future benefits. The redesign is getting positive reviews. They used to send something like this out in the mail whether you asked for it or not. My experience was that no one paid attention to the statements that used to be mailed even if they were about to file a claim for benefits. It may be a better design now but will that make a difference, especially when far fewer people are seeing it?