Consumers have the right to dispute the accuracy of information about them reported
to credit bureaus, including information reported by SSA. In some cases, consumers
will dispute the accuracy by contacting the credit bureaus directly. This will most
likely occur after the debtor has received a copy of his or her credit report and
sees that information reported by SSA has been posted to the report. The consumer
dispute will concern the amount or the fact of the debt.
When the credit bureau is notified by the consumer of the dispute, it will contact
SSA and request that we verify our records of the debt. The contact will occur via
an online system called the Automated Consumer Dispute Verification (ACDV) system,
which links the credit bureaus with SSA. (Currently, the ACDV process is handled by
the NEPSC.) Under the provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, we have 30 days
to respond to the dispute or the debt is deleted from the credit report. In most cases,
SSA need only verify the fact or amount of the debt on the SSR and notify the credit
bureau via the online program that the debt is correct as reported.
IMPORTANT: Do not process the consumer dispute as a request for reconsideration of the fact/amount
of the debt. Requests for reconsideration of the fact/amount of the debt must be made
directly to SSA and should be handled as described in SI 02220.012E.6.b.