The user fee, which amounts to a tax, on attorneys who represent Social Security claimants will be $117 per case for 2024.
Oct 20, 2023
Oct 25, 2022
More COLA Numbers
Social Security has published its complete Cost Of Living Adjustments. There's more than individual COLA adjustments to be computed. Here's some key numbers for 2023:
- Attorney user fee: $113
- FICA wage base: $160,200
- Quarter of coverage amount: $1,640
- Substantial gainful activity amount (non-blind): $1,470
- Trial work period threshold: $1,050
Oct 21, 2020
Attorney User Fee Goes To $98 Beginning In December
Social Security earlier announced the 1.3% COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for benefits for 2021. Tomorrow the agency will publish a more complete notice about all of the COLA adjustments in the Federal Register tomorrow. Perhaps the item on that list that will attract the most attention, at least from one group, is the increase in the maximum user fee charged to attorneys and others who represent claimants before the agency. That amount goes up to $98 beginning in December. The user fee is deducted from the fees that the attorneys receive.
Of course, no adjustment was made in the maximum fee that attorneys may charge their clients under the fee agreement process. My understanding of Social Security's position on that is that they will consider raising that amount once it is reliably reported to them that representation has disappeared. We may be in a situation comparable to that which once existed for representation of veterans. In 1864 Congress passed a $10 cap on attorney fees for attorney representation in veterans benefits matters. That may have been reasonable at the time. However, no adjustment was made in that cap for 120 years! That cap protected veterans so well that attorney representation in veterans benefits cases disappeared apart from pro bono representation. I imagine that there are those at Social Security who would be happy to see the same thing happen at Social Security.
Oct 22, 2019
User Fee Goes Up
Dec 18, 2018
What A Surprise
Dec 4, 2018
User Fee Cap To $95 In 2019
Dec 28, 2017
User Fee Remains At 6.3%; Cap Goes Up To $93
Jan 9, 2017
Attorney User Fee Remains At 6.3% -- How About Liens Instead?
Jan 5, 2016
User Fee To Stay At 6.3%
Oct 6, 2015
Now If They Could Do An Honest Recalculation Of The Attorney User Fee ...
We provide fee-based Social Security number (SSN) verification services to enrolled private businesses and government agencies who obtain a valid, signed consent form from the Social Security number holder. ...
To use CBSV [Consent Based Social Security Number Verification], interested parties must pay a one-time non-refundable enrollment fee of $5,000. Currently, users also pay a fee of $3.10 per SSN verification transaction in advance of services. We agreed to calculate our costs periodically for providing CBSV services and adjust the fees as needed. ...
Based on the most recent cost analysis, we will adjust the fiscal year 2016 fee to $1.40 per SSN verification transaction. New customers will still be responsible for the one-time $5,000 enrollment fee.
Dec 31, 2014
What Would You Do?
Dec 8, 2013
Slowdown In Processing Claimants Onto Benefits
Month/Year | Volume | Amount |
---|---|---|
Jan-13
|
32,663
|
$96,690,734.65
|
Feb-13
|
35,508
|
$102,242,540.93
|
Mar-13
|
45,189
|
$130,690,281.94
|
Apr-13
|
33,178
|
$92,566,832.32
|
May-13
|
42,841
|
$122,781,135.03
|
June-13
|
33,954
|
$97,627,420.68
|
July-13
|
35,221
|
$103,494,644.97
|
Aug-13
|
46,695
|
$129,774,228.90
|
Sept-13
|
33,295
|
$93,251,401.56
|
Oct-13
|
31,811
|
$87,109297.64
|
Nov-13
|
35,001
|
$98,454,659.66
|
Nov 5, 2013
User Fee Capped At $89 In 2014
Dec 9, 2012
Fee Payment Numbers
Month/Year | Volume | Amount |
---|---|---|
Jan-12
|
29,926
|
89,749,312.99
|
Feb-12
|
43,946
|
134,207,416.10
|
Mar-12
|
47,376
|
139,571,577.57
|
Apr-12
|
38,239
|
113,225,483.07
|
May-12
|
37,648
|
112,446,283.39
|
June-12
|
43,816
|
128,559,225.66
|
July-12
|
33,342
|
97,458,955.82
|
Aug-12
|
41,441
|
119,484,061.59
|
Sept-12
|
38,393
|
115,676,630.23
|
Oct-12
|
29,646
|
84,612,068.75
|
Nov-12
|
37,384
|
110,226,459.65
|
Oct 30, 2012
User Fee Cap To Be $88 Per Case In 2013
Dec 27, 2011
User Fee Stays At 6.3%
Dec 28, 2010
Attorney User Fee Remains At 6.3%
Dec 28, 2009
Attorney User Fee To Remain At 6.3% In 2010
Oct 27, 2009
User Fee To Remain At $83 In 2010
Sep 22, 2009
Increased User Fee Opposed
The Social Security Administration (SSA) plans to raise its fees for verifying mortgage borrowers’ identities, a move that is facing Congressional opposition.
The fee for mortgage and financial institutions to authenticate borrower Social Security numbers is set to increase from $0.56 to $5.00 per verification on October 1. But Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) is said to be leading a Congressional challenge to the increase, according to a statement from Rapid Reporting, a Fort Worth, Texas-based national provider of third-party income, identity and employment verification services.