The claims specialists (CS) in the field office (FO), the processing service center,
and the Office of Central Operations adjudicate title II claims involving representatives
who may petition to obtain SSA's approval of fees for their services. The procedures
below, and in the two succeeding sections, highlight the key CS responsibilities based
on the processing system: the Modernized Claims System (MCS) or the Manual Adjustment,
Credit, and Award Processes (MADCAP) system. (Refer to GN 03930.015, Responsibility for Authorizing Fees Under the Fee Petition Process for Services
Provided in Proceedings Before SSA – Jurisdiction.)
For those cases in which the representative is eligible for direct fee payment and
did not waive a fee or the right to direct payment of a fee, MCS and MADCAP propagate
representative information into the Single Payment System (SPS) for creation of a
payment record. For fee petition cases, the action will hold (i.e., pend) payment
in SPS until action is taken to release the representative payment (i.e., the fee
is authorized and input). (See GN 03920.017C., Direct Payment to Representatives – Title II Cases.)
The CS must refer to POMS or Modernized System Operations Manual (MSOM) sections for
complete instructions about processing limitations or exclusions and coding required
entries.