Retention Date: 10/21/2026
A. Purpose
This emergency message (EM) provides notification of the Appointment Scheduling Calendar (ASC) limited rollout, scheduled for release April 25, 2026, for customers in the states of Nevada and Tennessee.
This EM also provides guidance for Field Office (FO), Field Office Support Unit (FOSU), and Workload Support Unit (WSU) technicians to follow when scheduling certain appointments for customers who reside in the states of Nevada and Tennessee.
Teleservice Center Representatives (TSC) and those supporting the TSC should refer to OB 26-018.
NOTE: The intent of this EM is to supplement training materials available in the References section of this EM and the Workload and Appointment Management SharePoint site
B. Background
The ASC is a web-based appointment system used by customers and technicians to schedule, reschedule, modify, and cancel Initial Claim (IC) phone appointments.
IMPORTANT: For the initial launch on April 25, 2026, the ASC must only be used to schedule IC phone appointments for customers who reside in the states of Nevada and Tennessee.
For more information about the ASC release, refer to MSS26-052. For more information about WLM, refer to EM 26-017.
IMPORTANT: The processes and procedures for customers outside the states of Nevada and Tennessee are not changing at this time.
Within the states of Nevada and Tennessee, the processes and procedures for in-office IC appointments, international appointments, Enumeration, Post-Entitlement (PE) appointments, walk-in services, and appeals also remain unchanged.
NOTE: Upon release of ASC, IC phone appointments for customers who reside in TN and NV (via ASC), and PE and Enumeration (via Enterprise Scheduling System (ESS)) will only be available through the “Appointment Scheduling” link. All other IC appointments should continue to be scheduled in the Enhanced Leads and Appointment System (eLAS).
C. Customer Self-Scheduling
Customers who visit SSA.gov and express interest in filing for benefits are guided through a series of questions to determine the type of benefit for which they may qualify. Based on the customer’s responses and residence in Nevada or Tennessee, they will have the ability to self-schedule an appointment through the ASC.
NOTE: Customers will not be required to have a my Social Security account to self-schedule an appointment. However, prior to self-scheduling an appointment, customers must successfully credential through Login.gov or ID.me and consent to electronic messaging.
Once the customer reaches the appointment scheduling pages, they will not be able to modify the type of benefit(s) for which they are applying. On the last self-scheduling page, customers will be asked to review information entered and to read and acknowledge the protective filing statement, which provides closeout language. No closeout notices will be mailed. Any subsequent electronic messages will go to the individual scheduling the appointment.
D. Technician-Assisted Scheduling
1. When to Schedule in the ASC
Technicians should use the ASC to schedule all IC phone appointments for customers who reside in Nevada and Tennessee. During the initial rollout, there are situations in which a technician must use eLAS. These situations include:
· International IC and PE appointments
· IC in-office or video appointments
· Appointment is not for a customer who resides in Nevada or Tennessee
2. Scheduling an Appointment
When a customer contacts SSA to schedule an appointment for an IC, review available options and offer the first available appointment, which may often be a phone appointment.
Schedule the phone appointment using the instructions below for customers who reside in Nevada or Tennessee. Refer to GN 00203.003 for situations that may require an in-office appointment.
NOTE: To support customers who choose to seek services online, inform and educate customers of the benefits of creating a my Social Security account where they have access to over 40 fully digital services available 24/7. Direct the customer to use SSA’s online options (e.g., iClaim, Universal Benefit Application (UBA), i3368, i3820, etc.), using Online Services | SSA as a guide to available services, prior to the appointment. Refer to AM-26008.
The instructions below are an overview of the scheduling process. For a step-by-step, detailed view, including screenshots, refer to the ASC Technician User Guide on the Workload and Appointment Management SharePoint site
a. Prior to scheduling an appointment, verify the customer’s identity in accordance with established agency procedures.
b. Follow existing procedures to check available records to determine if a claim or an appointment already exists.
· This includes checking the Internet query, eLAS, Consolidated Claims Experience (CCE), Modernized Claim System (MCS) etc.
c. To access the ASC use either Technician Experience Dashboard (TED) after completing the Customer Verification page and selecting “+Add Task” and “Appointment Scheduling” or through “External Links”. Technicians can also access the ASC via iMAIN, or Kitchen Sink.
d. Under Initial Claims, select “Create or Update Appointment”.
e. Read the Privacy Act Statement language on the page and confirm that you have read it to the customer.
f. Enter the customer’s Social Security Number (SSN), select “Search” and confirm the results belong to the intended customer.
· The ASC will display future pending appointments and will not display past appointments.
I. If the customer already has an appointment, refer to Section E.
II. If the customer does not have an appointment, select “Schedule Appointment”.
NOTE: Technicians should select all applicable claim types to be addressed during the appointment.
g. Once the appointment date and time are confirmed, complete the “Communication Preferences” page.
· The Appointment Phone Number and Consent to Messaging fields are mandatory.
NOTE: If a customer does not consent to receive electronic messaging, they will not receive messages about their appointment and will not be able to reschedule or cancel their appointment online.
h. If a customer has consented to electronic messaging, ask the customer if they would like to create a One Time Passcode (OTP) to reschedule or cancel their appointment online. This code must be 4-6 numbers and does not expire until it is either used or the appointment date passes. The OTP is only available for technician assisted scheduling.
· Encourage the customer to maintain the OTP in a safe place. An OTP is required the first time a customer reschedules or cancels an appointment online. For any subsequent changes, an OTP is not needed.
i. Select the claimant’s language preference.
· The default language is English.
j. If the appointment is for a Title II benefit, ask if there is a spouse or child(ren) under the age of 18, age 18-19 and attending secondary school full-time, or disabled before age 22.
· If the customer indicates there is a spouse or child(ren) involved, ask if they intend to file for benefits for them.
· If yes, refer to instructions in D.3 below for additional documentation requirements.
k. Enter Remarks for the appointment, as applicable.
l. Review the appointment details with the customer for accuracy and read the protective filing and closeout information. Once complete, confirm “I have read the Protective Filing Statement to the caller” and click “Submit”.
IMPORTANT: Refer to section E for situations where the protective filing or close-out date may be different than what is displayed.
3. Scheduling Multiple Appointments (family claims)
If a customer calls and wants to schedule an appointment for multiple family members, first ensure that there is an intent to file at the time of the appointment. If a customer wants to schedule for several family members that may take an extended period, confirm the customer intends to complete these appointments during the same interview. Refer to GN 00204.010 for more information.
a. Title II – Spouse and Children
If there is intent to file, schedule the appointment under one individual’s SSN and place remarks about the intent to file for the other members. Include the following information about each of the other family members in the “Remarks” of the appointment:
NOTE: There are no changes to our policies for when to take an auxiliary claim.
When reading the closeout language, explain to the customer that this closeout pertains to all individuals named on the appointment.
IMPORTANT: For disability (DIB) appointments, follow the same process to ask the Number Holder (NH) for intent to file for any auxiliaries (i.e., spouse, child(ren)) at the time of scheduling an appointment and list the name and SSN in the “Remarks” of the appointment.
However, do not provide the closeout for DIB auxiliaries as their application will be deferred until the NH’s disability claim is allowed at any level of adjudication (e.g., initial, reconsideration, or hearing). For more information refer to DI 11010.025C and DI 11010.030.
NOTE: If the additional family members have an intent to file but are not available for the appointment or do not file at the time of the appointment for other reasons, offer to schedule the appointment and in remarks, document the original protective filing date. If the family member does not want an appointment, add remarks to TED including the family member’s name, SSN, already established protective filing date, if applicable, and decision not to schedule an appointment.
b. Title XVI Family Claims
When someone calls and expresses intent to file for multiple potential Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applicants (e.g., family members in the same household) who intend to file at the same time, generally, the technician will set separate appointments for each SSI applicant to create a protective filing record.
The ASC does not have the ability to group family claims together. Since the appointments will likely be routed to different technicians in different FOs, do not schedule the appointments sequentially. Leave at least an hour between each appointment. Refer to EM 26-017 for actions technicians should take at the time of the appointment.
EXCEPTION For SSIAI claim types where both members of an aged couple are filing, follow the instructions in 3.a, above.
4. After Scheduling the Appointment
a. Inform the customer of the scheduled appointment and the 30-minute window within which we may contact them.
b. Review the Next Steps with the caller, based on the information on the page, including:
i. Preparing for the appointment
· Inform the customer of the types of evidence that might be required for the appointment, as applicable.
· Offer to send information about filing online and preparing for the appointment through Info Sender (refer to MSS26-023 OTH) or eMailer
ii. How to cancel or reschedule the appointment.
iii. Reminders about protective filing and closeout dates.
NOTE: If a customer has consented to receive electronic messaging, they will receive an email and/or text with the date and time of the appointment. This message includes a link to the appointment information details, including closeout language, after the customer successfully credentials through Login.gov or ID.me and enters the OTP.
If a customer has not consented to receive electronic messaging, the closeout information will not be stored or mailed to the customer. The protective filing and closeout receipt date will be stored in eLAS.
E. Updating, Rescheduling, and Cancelling Appointments
The ASC will only show future pending appointments. If a customer contacts SSA for an IC and there is no appointment, follow instructions in Section D.
IMPORTANT: Only the claimant or the person who scheduled the appointment can update an existing appointment. Prior to updating, rescheduling, or cancelling the appointment, the technician must verify the identity of the customer to assure that they are either the claimant or the person who originally scheduled the appointment.
1. Updating an Appointment
If a customer contacts SSA to update their appointment (e.g., add another claim type for the same title or a different title to an existing appointment, update a phone number, etc.):
a. Follow the instructions in Section D.2 a-e to locate the appointment.
b. Select “View” from the Search Results page.
c. Select “Update” in the appropriate section.
i. Enter the updated information and select “Done”.
d. If the customer requests adding another claim type for the same title (e.g., Title II), no further action is needed to preserve the protective filing date for that title of benefits, as it was already recorded and closed out when the original appointment was made.
e. If the customer requests adding another claim type for a different title (e.g., existing appointment is Title II and customer now wishes to file for Title XVI), annotate remarks with the date the new intent to file is received for the new title of benefit.
f. Confirm the updated information is correct.
g. Select “Submit”.
i. The appointment updates will not be saved if “Submit” is not selected.
h. Follow steps in Section D.4.
2. Rescheduling an Appointment
Follow the instructions below when rescheduling appointments.
a. Follow instructions in Section D.2. a-e to locate appointment.
b. Select “View” from the Search Results page.
c. Under Appointment Details, select “Reschedule Appointment”.
d. Select new date and/or time.
e. Confirm the information is correct on the Appointment Details page and remind the customer of the protective filing and closeout information on the page.
f. Select “Submit”
i. The appointment updates will not be saved if “Submit” is not selected.
g. Follow steps in Section D.4.
3. Cancelling Appointments
Follow the instructions below when cancelling appointments.
a. Follow instructions in Section D.2.a-e to locate appointment.
b. On the Appointment Details page, click “Cancel Appointment” and confirm the customer wishes to cancel.
c. Explain to the customer that they will not receive confirmation of the cancellation.
d. If the appointment has auxiliaries listed in the remarks, copy the remarks over to TED, including the protective filing date for the auxiliaries.
e. Select “Close”.
NOTE: Once the appointment is cancelled, it will no longer be viewable in the Appointment Scheduling Calendar. The protective filing date will be viewable in eLAS.
F. Special Claims Situations
When a caller requires expedited or special handling per policy (e.g., TERI, Military Casualty/Wounded Warrior, 100% Permanent and Total Disability) and there are no appointments available within 5 days, FO technicians should handle appointments locally and follow existing procedures. Refer to DI 11005.007, DI 11005.601, and DI 11005.007.
G. Impact to iClaims
If an appointment is present in the ASC when the claimant files an application via iClaim, the system will not detect the appointment to offer the option to cancel or keep the appointment as outlined in GN 00204.055D.3. Technicians should thoroughly review all scheduling systems when reviewing iClaims to ensure the correct protective filing date is used and all pending appointments are addressed. See GN 01070.781D for iClaims with appointments procedures.
H. Unscheduled Leads
The ASC will alleviate the need to create a protective filing record using the unscheduled leads feature in eLAS in most circumstances, due to increased appointment availability. However, offices must continue to review the Unscheduled Leads listing in the Workload Action Center (WAC) on a regular basis to assure these claimants receive either a scheduled appointment or a closeout notice.
IMPORTANT: The technician must speak to the customer prior to scheduling in the ASC, as the system will not send appointment confirmation or closeout notices.
Direct all program and technical related questions to your management.
References
GN 00203.003 – Face to Face Contact with Claimants
GN 00204.010 – Protective Filing
GN 00204.055.- Internet Claim (iClaim) Application
GN 01070.781 - Field Office (FO) and Workload Support Unit (WSU) on Claims Processing Coordination
DI 11005.007 – Field Office (FO) Instructions for Identifying Claims, Applicable Terms and Scheduling Appointments for Claimants with a Veterans Affairs 100 Percent Permanent and Total (VAPT) Disability Compensation Rating.
DI 11005.601 – The Disability Interview – Identifying Terminal Illness (TERI) Cases
DI 11010.025 – Guidelines for Deferral of Non-Medical Development.
DI 11010.030 - Field Office (FO) Operating Instructions for Deferred Title II Initial Claims
MSS26-023 OTH
MSS26-052 – Appointment Scheduling Calendar - Limited Rollout
OB 26-018 – Appointment Scheduling Calendar (limited rollout)
EM-26017 – Workload Management – Limited Rollout
Enterprise Workload and Appointment Management SharePoint site.
Online Services | SSA
Technician Experience Dashboard
Technician Experience Dashboard (TED) User Guide - Home
iMAIN
AM-26008 - my Social Security Account Registration Information