Understanding Supplemental Security Income
Social Security Notices and Letters
2012 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

a Social Security telephone number and/or address

  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.

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

  WHEN  DO  WE  SEND  YOU  A  NOTICE?  

Whenever we send you a notice, it is because there is something you should know or do about your claim, benefit status or benefit amount. We send you a notice before we make a change to your benefit amount or eligibility. We will send a notice whenever we must tell you about activity on your case.

For example, if you receive SSI benefits and your living arrangement, income or resources change, 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 or 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 OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS?

Blind or visually impaired persons may receive notices about their benefits in standard print by first class or certified mail, in standard print by first class mail with a followup telephone call, in Braille, audio CD and large print (18-point size) or on a Microsoft Word compact disc.  If none of these options are adequate, blind or visually impaired persons may request another accommodation.  We will decide whether to approve other accommodation requests on an individual basis.

  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. Have the notice with you when you contact us, so we will be able to help you more quickly. We will explain the letter 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.