From time to time, articles are printed in newspapers, magazines, and other publications by insurance companies, business firms or other organizations providing information about the Social Security Program.

The organizations generally provide reliable information about the program, and may sometimes include acceptable facsimiles of Form SSA-7004-SM-OP1 or other information on how to receive a statement of earnings.

Some firms, on the other hand, charge a fee to answer basic questions about the earnings statement program. They otherwise promote the sale of their publication by using highly provocative or misleading statements and expressions about the earnings statement program.

These latter firms undermine the integrity of the Social Security Program. They create the impression that the reader must obtain earnings statement information from outside sources, for a fee. Social Security provides this information free of charge.

If correspondence is received from the general public complaining, inquiring or making suggestions about such practices, forward the inquiry to OPI under cover of Form SSA-2523. Check box A.2.

If an earnings request is received and a dictated response is required, process as follows:

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  Write “COMPLAINT” in red on top of the Form SSA-7004-SM-OP1.

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  Enter “RT” or “SR" in the special indicator block on Form SSA-7004-SM-OP1.

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  Staple the complaint to the back of the original Form SSA-7004-SM-OP1 and sort for data entry.