The DDS must contact (by telephone or by letter) the:
You may make a reasonable effort to involve a third party at any point in the process, but you may not discontinue attempts to develop evidence requiring
the claimant's cooperation until you make a reasonable effort to identify and involve
a third party (see DI 23007.010).
For claimants who require special handling, see DI 23007.001A.
For information on the third party, see DI 23007.001C.
For whom to contact in a Title XVI disabled child (DC) case, see DI 25205.020A.2.
For steps to confirm a CE with special handling, see DI 22510.019D.
IMPORTANT: You must make a reasonable effort to involve the third party from the current level
of review. Do not use a third party from a prior folder or a prior appeal level.
1. Third party identified
When the claimant does not comply with your follow-up request for evidence or action,
or does not confirm or misses the CE appointment, you must make a reasonable effort
to involve the third party identified in Section 2 of the SSA-3368 (Disability Report - Adult), SSA-3441 (Disability Report - Appeal), or SSA-454 (Continuing Disability Review Report).
b. Additional third party
When the claimant does not comply with your follow-up request for evidence or action,
or does not confirm or misses the CE appointment, and the FO has identified an additional
third party in Section 11 of the SSA-3368, Section 10 of the SSA-3441, or Section 11 of the SSA-454, you must make a reasonable effort to involve the additional third party when the
attempt with the other third party was not productive.
2. Third party not identified
When the claimant does not comply with your follow-up request for evidence or action,
or does not confirm or misses the CE appointment, you must make a reasonable effort
to identify a third party when the Field Office (FO) has not identified a third party
or has not documented that the claimant refused to identify a third party. When the
FO documented that the claimant refused to identify a third party, do not attempt
to identify a third party.
When you identify a third party, contact them and attempt to get them to assist the
claimant to cooperate with your request. When you are not able to identify a third
party, or if you identify but are unable to involve the third party, stop attempts
to get the claimant to comply with your request or to attend the CE appointment.