When DI 23007.010A above applies, contact the claimant once by telephone or letter to request a third
party contact.
When the DDS receives a claim and the FO did not obtain an additional third party,
or the FO annotated in the Remarks section "Internet/mailed-in claim - no additional
third party contact obtained," you are not required to attempt to identify an additional
third party. For the policy to document the third parties at the FO, see DI 11018.005F.1, DI 11005.022B and DI 11005.022C.
When the claimant identifies a third party, make a reasonable effort to involve the
third party in accordance with DI 23007.010C.
In addition, when the FO documented that the claimant refused to identify a third
party, do not attempt to identify a third party. For the policy to document the refusal
at the FO, see DI 11005.022B.
NOTE1: You may ask a claimant that requires special handling to identify a third party at
the time you follow up on an initial, written request for evidence or action, or when
you attempt to confirm the claimant's attendance at a scheduled CE appointment, see
DI 22510.019.
NOTE 2: When a claimant has not identified a third party on the SSA-3368 Disability Report - Adult, the
SSA-3441 Disability Report - Appeal, or theSSA-454 Continuing Disability Review Report, and there is no FO documentation that the claimant refused to provide one, you are
only required to identify one third party.
1. If you contact the claimant by telephone
Claimant contact by telephone means you either:
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•
Speak to the claimant, or
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NOTE: When you do not speak to the claimant and you cannot leave a message, you must contact
the claimant once by letter.
a. You speak to the claimant
Ask for the name and contact information of a third party. When the claimant asks
for more time to provide this information, give him or her 10 additional calendar
days from the date of your telephone call. Explain that failure to provide the requested
information may result in you making a determination based on the evidence in file,
which means you may find that the claimant is not disabled.
Document the date and content of your conversation with the claimant on an SSA-5002 Report of Contact, the claims communication section in eCAT, or the DDS worksheet.
You may leave a message on the voicemail recording system of a telephone number in
the claim file that is attributable to the claimant. You may also leave a message
with an adult who answers a telephone number in the claim file that is attributable
to the claimant (e.g., the claimant’s spouse).
Include the following:
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•
Your contact information and date that you called. Do not disclose any unnecessary
personal information about the claimant,
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•
A request that the claimant provide the name and contact information of a third party,
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•
A request that the claimant return your call within 10 calendar days from the date
of your message with the information, and
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•
An explanation that failure to provide the requested information may result in you
making a determination based on the evidence in file, which means you may find that
the claimant is not disabled.
Document the date and content of your message for the claimant on an SSA-5002 Report of Contact, the claims communication section in eCAT, or the DDS worksheet.
c. You send a letter to the claimant
Include the following:
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•
Your contact information and date of your letter,
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•
A request that the claimant call you within 10 calendar days from the date of your
letter with the name and contact information of a third party, and
-
•
An explanation that failure to provide the requested information may result in you
making a determination based on the evidence in file, which means you may find that
the claimant is not disabled.