Last Update: 9/13/05 (Transmittal I-4-15)
A blind claimant or recipient is an individual who is applying for or receiving Title II or XVI benefits on the basis of blindness. For the purpose of this provision, a blind claimant or recipient includes:
legally competent blind adults.
legally competent blind children who have attained age 18.
minor blind children who receive direct payment of their Title II or Title XVI benefits.
A blind claimant or recipient may elect to receive notices from SSA in English or Spanish in one of the following ways:
telephone call.
certified mail.
regular mail service.
When an analyst identifies a case as one involving a blind claimant, the analyst must indicate on the top of the Court Remand flag the option the claimant has selected and attach the flag to the case.
Process these cases in the same manner as the HO staff (see I-2-3-50), except as follows:
If the claimant elects the certified mail option, the support staff must prepare all U.S. Postal Service certification forms and release the correspondence.
If the claimant elects the telephone follow-up option, the analyst must advise the support staff to return the case to him or her promptly after release of any correspondence, in order to make the follow-up calls. The analyst then must contact the claimant by telephone within five days of the date of the correspondence.