These are the components responsible for making follow-up telephone calls for automated (or centrally printed) notices:

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  Automated Title II notices - the servicing processing center (PC) reads automated Title II notices to the person. The PC receives the notices to be read via the Centralized Special Notice Option (CSNO) application;

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  Automated Title XVI notices - the servicing field office (FO) reads automated Title XVI notices to the person. The FO receives the notice to read via an email that refers to CSNO; and

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  Automated Title II and Title XVI representative payee notices and accounting forms - the servicing FO reads automated Title II and Title XVI representative payee notices and accounting forms to the person. The FO receives the notice to be read via an email that refers to CSNO.

The system holds the email for 2 business days from the notice production date to allow time for the notice to store in Online Retrieval System (ORS). The corresponding regional office email box receives any undeliverable email. The regional office promptly sends undeliverable email to the FO and requests the FO update its email address in the Detailed Office Organization Resource System (DOORS).

If a component produces a local notice for the follow-up telephone call option, that component must call the person within 5 business days to read the notice. If the person with blindness or visual impairment is in the FO or on the telephone with SSA at the time you are generating the notice, read the notice to the person before ending the interview. Document the call per NL 01001.110E and NL 01001.110F in this section.

A N8NN agent who generates a locally printed notice, (i.e., through the Customer Help and Information Program (CHIP) or the Document Processing System (DPS)) should

• •

  read the notice to the person before ending the call, and

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  document the call by faxing the notice and a report of contact into the Non-Disability Repository for Evidentiary Documents (NDRED) or eView.

Technicians who establish eLAS referrals (e.g., appointments) annotate the referral to show that the FO needs to make a follow-up telephone call. The FO:

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  calls the person,

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  reads the notice, and

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  documents the call in the ORS. If the notice is not yet available in ORS, document the call in NDRED or eView.

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  DDS, DPB, DPU, and OMA make the follow-up telephone call for their case processing correspondence issued on both electronic and paper cases, and their personal decision notices (PDNs) issued when the official folder is paper.

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  Office of Central Operations (OCO) makes the follow-up telephone call for disability denials, cessations, and less than fully favorable PDNs issued on certified electronic cases.

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  The FO makes the follow-up telephone call for paper cases when the Office of Quality Review (OQR) selects the disability case for sampling. When OQR completes the quality review and no further action is required by DDS, OQR:

  1. a. 

     Prepares form SSA-847 (Social Security Administration Request for Case Action) advising that a telephone call is required, and

  2. b. 

     Returns the case via overnight courier to the appropriate FO to make the follow-up telephone call.

See details:

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  GN 04440.030 Cases Involving Special Notice Options (SNO)

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  GN 04440.232 Decision Basis Code Technical Corrective Action (TCA)

OHO makes the follow-up telephone call for all OHO case correspondence and case development letters and notices.

See details:

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  HALLEX I-2-3-50 Special Notices for Blind or Visually Impaired Claimants or Recipients

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  HALLEX I-3-1-70 Special Notices for Blind or Visually Impaired Claimants or Recipients

We consider it an attempt if you:

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  reach the person, but the person is unable to take the call,

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  reach another person at the correct telephone number,

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  do not get an answer, or

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  reach an answering machine or voice mail. (Follow your component’s normal procedures for leaving messages.)

IMPORTANT: Do not consider getting a busy signal an attempt.

If the telephone number is temporarily out of service, you should continue calling until you make three attempts on different days.

If you reach someone at the wrong telephone number or if you reach a non-working number, you should query other systems, e.g. Master Beneficiary Record (MBR), Supplemental Security Record (SSR), Representative Payee System (RPS), and iSNO to determine if we have another telephone number. You must make three attempts for all other available telephone numbers.

If you are unable to locate a valid working number, you do not need to make further attempts. Mail a courtesy notice explaining that we could not call the person to read the notice because we do not have the person’s current telephone number. You do not need to make a follow up telephone call on the courtesy notice. The notice is available in DPS in the General folder under the title “SNO Request for Telephone Number,” and in Aurora as exhibit letter E4012. DDS components should prepare the courtesy notice using local procedures and store a copy of the notice in eView.

REMINDER: If you locate a working telephone number, be sure to update the new telephone number in iSNO per NL 01001.020F. Also, update any other necessary systems (e.g., MBR, SSR) with the new telephone number.

If the person is unable to receive telephone calls within the next 5 business days, do not make further attempts. Otherwise, continue calling until you make three attempts.

If you are unable to reach the person after making three attempts to read an advance (due process) notice, complete the proposed action as usual.

For information on advance notices for Title II, see GN 03001.015. For information on advance notices for Title XVI, see SI 02301.300.

If you called at different times on 3 different business days, and encountered busy signals at least six times, you can stop trying to call the person to read the notice. Mail a courtesy notice explaining that we tried to call the person, asking the person to confirm that we have the correct phone number, and suggesting other formats that may work better. You do not need to make a follow-up telephone call on the courtesy notice. The notice is available in DPS in the General folder under the title “SNO Busy Signal Letter,” and in Aurora as exhibit letter E4010. DDS components should prepare the courtesy notice using local procedures and store a copy of the notice in eView.

When you reach the person,

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  Verify their identity before you read the notice; see GN 03380.005.

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  Do not read the notice if you are unable to verify the person’s identity.

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  Advise any person whose identity you cannot verify to contact their servicing field office.

After verifying the person’s identity, you must:

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  read the entire notice and any enclosures verbatim in the language in which they were issued (We issue notices in English and Spanish);

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  answer any questions the person may have about the notice;

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  assist the person with completing any forms, if requested; and

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  complete any necessary changes to SSA records (e.g., address or income updates) following existing procedures.

NOTE: If an enclosed form contains lengthy instructions, you must offer to read the entire form and its accompanying instructions verbatim. However, you can read the notice and just complete the form over the telephone with the person if the person agrees.

If a person has an appointed representative,

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  Call the person directly instead of the appointed representative, within 5 business days of the date of the notice;

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  Verify the person’s identity, read the notice and any enclosures, and assist the person with any questions they may ask about the notice.

See details:

GN 03910.050 Contacting a Represented Claimant

IMPORTANT: When you read the notice to the person, do not initiate a request for information, complete forms, or ask additional questions unless the appointed representative gave SSA permission to communicate directly with the person.

Yes, SSA requires you to read verbatim pamphlets and other notice enclosures to a person with a follow-up telephone SNO. Assist the person if they need help completing forms. If the person has an appointed representative, see NL 01001.110D.7. in this section.

Assist the person in completing the request for reconsideration form if they disagree with the notice that you read over the telephone and requests a reconsideration.

For additional instructions on completing a request for reconsideration, see:

• •

  GN 03102.100 The Reconsideration Process

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  DI 12005.001 Documenting a Request for Reconsideration of an Initial Disability Claim

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  SI 04020.020 Requests for SSI Reconsideration

See instructions for using the Telephone Interpreter Service

• •

  GN 00203.011B.5. Special Interviewing Situations: Limited English Proficiency (LEP) or Language Assistance Required

• •

  DI 23040.001 DDS: Interpreters for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) or Individuals Requiring Language Assistance

Fax a copy to the appropriate module (1-6) in the Office of Earnings and International Operations (OEIO), based on the SSN range. The module will fax a copy to the appropriate Foreign Service post personnel responsible for making the telephone contacts. 

For SSA notices stored in ORS:

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  Use the notes feature in ORS to document the follow-up telephone call. Show your office and unit code on the note. For instructions on using the notes feature in ORS see, Notice Search Summary (NSS) MS 04803.009;

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  For successful contacts, show the date of the contact and any pertinent information resulting from the contact, such as a statement that the person is appealing the determination; and

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  For unsuccessful attempts, show the dates and times of the three attempts to contact the person and annotate the contact was unsuccessful.

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  If you close out the telephone call due to multiple busy signals, annotate the dates and times of the six busy signals and the date you sent the “SNO Busy Signal Letter.”

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  If you cannot locate a working telephone number, annotate the date you sent the “SNO Request for Telephone Number Letter.”

For SSA notices not stored in ORS:

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  Document the successful contact or unsuccessful attempts by annotating the hard copy of the notice or a form SSA-5002 Report of Contact (RC);

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  Fax the annotated notice or the RC into either eView if there is an electronic disability file or NDRED if there is no other electronic folder. For instructions on faxing documents into the CEF, see DI 81010.090.

DDS staff follows normal business procedure for documenting claims communications.

OHO staff should document the follow-up telephone call per the requirements in

• •

  HALLEX I-2-3-50 Special Notices for Blind or Visually Impaired Claimants or Recipients

• •

  HALLEX I-3-1-70 Special Notices for Blind or Visually Impaired Claimants or Recipients