Information for Congressional Inquirers

We encourage close working relationships between Congressional offices and local Social Security offices. Most offices have established mutually advantageous procedures for efficient resolution of Congressional inquiries. Even though completed claims files are stored in a variety of locations around the country, local office staff have the expertise necessary to resolve problems, and have access to all SSA components that might be involved in a particular case.

Under the Privacy Act, information in our records about individuals may be disclosed to a Member of Congress only at the individual's oral or written request to the Member of Congress. When inquiring about personal information on behalf of a constituent you should include an indication that your inquiry is based on the request from a constituent.

The Social Security claim number of your constituent should also be included with an inquiry whenever possible. That number appears on almost all correspondence from the Social Security Administration and on the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income checks. The claim number is a 9-digit Social Security number followed by one or two letters and sometimes an additional 1-digit number.

Your first point of contact should be the local office servicing the claimant or beneficiary. You can locate that office using the person's zip code. 

If the case is at the hearing stage, you may also find information from the Chicago Region Office of Hearings and Appeals to be helpful.