GN 03930.025 Receipt and Routing of Fee Petitions

A. Introduction

A representative can file a fee petition before or after SSA makes or effectuates a determination or decision.

EXAMPLE: A representative whom the claimant had discharged filed a fee petition before SSA makes a final determination.

The field office (FO) or processing center (PC) action varies depending on whether the claim or postentitlement or posteligibility (PE) action has been decided and, if so, who decided the case.

B. Procedure - Claim or PE action not decided

When you receive the fee petition, take the action(s) shown:

1. Pending below the hearing level

a. You have the claim file or pertinent electronic records

•

Process the claim or PE action. (See GN 03930.030 through GN 03930.045, about claims representative (CR) and claims authorizer (CA) or claims technical examiner (CTE) responsibilities.)
•

Forward the fee petition to the fee reviewer in the PC having jurisdiction (see GN 03930.015A). Also forward the claim file, if you have it. If you are in a FO or another PC, use the routing instructions shown in GN 03930.025D. For SSI only fee petitions, annotate the envelope with “SSI fee petition.”

NOTE:

The FO should forward the title XVI file with the fee petition when possible, to aid the PC fee authorizer in evaluating the petition.

b. You do not have the claim file and electronic records are not available

Forward the fee petition to the fee reviewer in the PC having jurisdiction (see GN 03930.015A). If you are in a FO or another PC, use the routing instructions shown in GN 03930.025D.

2. Pending at or above the hearing level

Forward the claim file, if it is available, with the fee petition to the hearing office or to the Appeals Council. If the Attorney Fee Branch already has the claim file, forward the fee petition for association.

C. Procedure - Claim or PE action decided

When you receive the fee petition, take the action(s) shown:

1. Decided below the hearing level

Forward the fee petition, with the claim file if you have it, to the fee reviewer in the PC having jurisdiction (see GN 03930.015A). If you are in a FO or another PC, use the routing instructions shown in GN 03930.025D.

NOTE:

The FO must forward the title XVI file with the fee petition because the PC fee authorizer cannot evaluate the petition without it.

2. Decided at the hearing level

Forward the fee petition to the hearing office (HO). Use the Detailed Office/Organization Resource System (DOORS) to determine the HO address (see MSOM DOORS 002.013 ). (See GN 03930.015B about jurisdiction.)

3. Decided above the hearing level

Forward the fee petition to the Attorney Fee Branch (AFB). (See GN 03930.015B about jurisdiction, and GN 03930.025D for the AFB address.)

D. Procedure - Routing instructions

Follow these routing instructions:

PC or AFB	Route To:
PC-1	Social Security Administration Northeastern Program Service Center P.O. Box 314800 Jamaica, NY 11431-4092
PC-2	Mid-Atlantic Program Service Center, SSA ATTN: Reconsideration Review Section (DO NOT OPEN IN MAILROOM) 300 Spring Garden Street Philadelphia, PA 19123
PC-3	Social Security Administration Southeastern PSC Birmingham Social Security Center 1200 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd. Birmingham, AL 35285-0001
PC-4	Great Lakes Program Service Center, SSA ATTN: Reconsideration Review Section (DO NOT OPEN IN MAILROOM) P. O. Box 5396 Chicago, IL 60680
PC-5	Western Program Service Center, SSA ATTN: Reconsideration Review Section (DO NOT OPEN IN MAILROOM) P. O. Box 2152 Richmond, CA 94802
PC-6	Mid-America Program Service Center, SSA ATTN: Reconsideration Review Section (DO NOT OPEN IN MAILROOM) P. O. Box 15487 Kansas City, MO 64106
PC-7	Office of Disability Operations, SSA P.O. Box 1075 Baltimore, MD 21241
PC-8	Office of International Operations, SSA P.O. Box 1075 Baltimore, MD 21241
AFB	Office of Appellate Operations (OAO) ATTN: Attorney Fee Branch 6401 Security Blvd Baltimore, MD 21235-6401

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0203930025

GN 03930.025 - Receipt and Routing of Fee Petitions - 08/31/2023
Batch run: 11/03/2023
Rev:08/31/2023

Program Operations Manual System (POMS)