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How To File An Unfair Treatment ComplaintSSA Publication No. 05-10071, September 2008 (Recycle prior editions) [View .pdf] (En EspaƱol) |
The Social Security Administration wants to treat all claimants and their representatives fairly and equally. We do not treat you differently because of your race, sex, age or for disability, the amount of money you have, or for any other reason. Below we tell you more about what you should do if you think the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who conducted your hearing treated you unfairly. |
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What you should do if you think you were treated unfairlyIf you think any ALJ treated you unfairly, you should tell us about it and ask us to look into it. You can ask even while we are deciding your claim for benefits.
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What you need to knowFiling an unfair treatment complaint is not the same as appealing a decision. If you received a decision on your claim and you do not agree with it, you have 60 days from the date you receive the decision to ask for an appeal. The ALJ’s decision letter will explain how to file an appeal. You can describe the unfair treatment in your appeal. For more information, ask for The Appeals Process (Publication No. 05-10041), which also is available online at |
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Where to send your requestYou can ask for help at any Social Security office to make your complaint. You also can write to:
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What will Social Security doWe will let you know that we received your complaint. Someone who has not been handling your claim before will look into the information you gave us in the complaint. You will be advised when the matter is closed.
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Contacting Social SecurityOur website is a valuable resource for information about all of Social Security’s programs. There are a number of things you can do online. In addition to using our website, you can call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. We can answer specific questions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. We can provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day. (You can use our automated response system to tell us a new address or request a replacement Medicare card.) If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778. We treat all calls confidentially. We also want to make sure you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor some telephone calls.
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