Understanding Supplemental Security Income
Social Security Notices and Letters
2008 Edition

  WHAT  DOES  A  NOTICE  LOOK  LIKE?  

A Social Security notice will have the following features:

a heading that always includes the agency name, and usually the name of the Social Security program, and the type of notice for example:

Social Security Administration
Supplemental Security Income
Notice of Change in Payment

	an Social Security telephone number and/or address; and
	a signature and title of a Social Security official.

  WHY  DO  WE  SEND  YOU  A  NOTICE?  

Notices are one of the main ways that we communicate with the public. We rely on notices to communicate determinations, inform you of your rights and responsibilities, and to describe what you can do if you disagree with our determinations.

We also send administrative letters that may ask you to call or come into the office, or to send information or proofs.

  WHEN  DO  WE  SEND  YOU  A  NOTICE?  

Whenever we send you a notice, it is because there is something you should know or do concerning your claim, benefit status or benefit amount.

We send you a notice before we make a change to your benefit amount or eligibility. We may send a notice whenever we must inform you of activity on your case.

For example, if you receive SSI benefits and your living arrangement, income or resources change frequently, you will receive a notice each time your benefit amount changes.

  WHAT  DO  WE  TELL  YOU  IN  OUR  NOTICE?  

Our notices generally state the following:

	the purpose of the notice;
	any action we plan to take or determination we've made and the reason;
	any change in your benefit status/payment amount and the starting date of the change;
	any action you should take;
	what you should do if you disagree with the determination; and
	how to contact us.

  WHAT  OPTIONS  ARE  AVAILABLE  TO  BLIND  INDIVIDUALS?  

Blind individuals will receive notices by regular first class mail, unless they request a follow–up phone call along with the regular mailing, or notices by certified mail.

These special options are only available for certain kinds of notices. For example, they are available for notices that communicate a decision or planned action, but not for administrative notices like an appointment confirmation.

  WHAT  OPTIONS  ARE  AVAILABLE  TO  
  LIMITED  ENGLISH  SPEAKING  INDIVIDUALS?  

We have a plan to gradually make notices available in various languages. Because our Spanish speaking population is the largest group of limited English speaking individuals, we have made almost all SSI notices available in Spanish. Notices that are not available in Spanish include a Spanish cover letter offering translation services from a local Social Security office.

  WHAT  SHOULD  YOU  DO  IF  YOU  HAVE  TROUBLE  
  UNDERSTANDING  OR  RESPONDING  TO  OUR  NOTICE?  

Contact us if you do not understand a notice, or if you cannot do what we ask in the time allowed. If you have the notice with you when you contact us, we will be able to help you more quickly. We will explain the notice to you and help you do what you need to do to meet your responsibility.

If you misplace a notice that we have sent you before you have a chance to read or respond to it, contact us. Do not ignore the notice under any circumstances. If you do, you could lose benefits or the chance to exercise your rights.