Effective Dates: 05/12/2003 - Present Previous | Next

TN 47 (08-96)

DI 42586.007 Stieberger Inquiries

A. Process

Individuals (“walk-ins”) may inquire about Stieberger by contacting the local FO or OHA office in person, in writing or by telephone. All individuals who request reopening under the agreement including individuals who request reopening by contacting an FO or OHA office directly are “responders,” regardless of whether or not they received a notice, and will be provided with a written acknowledgment of their request for reopening. Statements obtained by the FO will be forwarded to be associated with the green jacket or, if the case has not been alerted, to:

SSA, ODIO, Class Action Section

Attn: Stieberger Coordinator

P.O. Box 17369

Baltimore, MD 21298-0050.

ODIO will associate the statement with the systems generated CATS alert and queries and screen for class membership (see DI 42586.008).

If an individual contacts the PSC or ODIO instead of the FO about being potentially entitled to Stieberger reopening, the PSC or ODIO will follow DI 42586.007B.

B. Procedure

1. Individual calls the PSC or ODIO

If the claimant calls the PSC or ODIO, take the following steps:

  1. a. 

    If the claimant has the court case reply form (see DI 42586.095, Exhibit 2), have him or her complete it and return it to ODIO in the self-addressed, postage-prepaid envelope (see address in DI 42586.007A.). Advise the claimant to keep a record of the date of response. Provide assistance in completing the reply form, if needed.

    NOTE: Claimants should hold any potentially important documents (e.g., medical evidence, etc.) until their case is called up for review. Form SSA 1696-U4 should be attached and forwarded with the reply form to ODIO .

  2. b. 

    If the letter was lost or the claimant was never notified prepare a “Request for Court Case Review/Change of Address Worksheet” (DI 42586.095, Exhibit 12) per DI 12586.005D.2. The PSC should send the completed Worksheet to the address shown in DI 42586.007A.

To acknowledge the individual's request for review, send the claimant a dated copy of the worksheet. If the contact is more than 185 days after the notice was generated, record the reasons for the late response in an SSA-5002.

2. Individual writes to PSC or ODIO

If an individual writes to a PSC or to ODIO and has not been identified as a potential Stieberger class member, consider the inquiry a request for review under Stieberger and process as follows:

  1. a. 

    If inquiry received in PSC, send it to ODIO at the address shown in DI 42586.007A., under cover of a transmittal annotated, “Process inquiry as Stieberger walk-in if claimant not on CATS.”

  2. b. 

    If inquiry received in ODIO:

    • •

      Obtain an MBR and SSR to verify the SSN and key the SSN into CATS as a “walk-in.” (An acknowledgment letter will be automatically generated for SSNs keyed into CATS.). Then process the request.

    • •

      If MBR and SSR are both “no record,” send inquiry to FO for claimant contact per DI 12586.005D.2.

3. Completed folders

Please do not forward completed folders to The Class Action Section (CAS) located in Baltimore, Maryland. Upon completion of a case, the folder should be forwarded to the appropriate storage facility (PSC, WBDOC, ODO). CAS does not house completed folders.

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0442586007
DI 42586.007 - <Italic> Stieberger</Italic> Inquiries - 05/12/2003
Batch run: 04/14/2014
Rev:05/12/2003