Social Security Administration Guide to Freedom of Information Act Requests http://www.ssa.gov/foia/foia.htm ---------- Background ---------- This guide explains how you can get information from the Social Security Administration (SSA) about the kinds of records we keep. Members of the public can get documents from Federal agencies based on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The FOIA was established to make the Federal government accountable to the public for its actions and prevents agencies from having secret policies. ------------------------- Records We Make Available ------------------------- Under FOIA, you can inspect and copy the following SSA records in any of our field offices or headquarters in Baltimore, or you can get them from the SSA FOIA Internet Home Page at Social Security Online: Policy statements and SSA manuals and instructions, Final opinions from adjudicating administrative cases, and An index of SSA's administrative staff manuals and instructions. The Internet address of Social Security Online is: http://www.ssa.gov You can also find information about SSA records under the Government Printing Office's (GPO) Government Information Locator System (GILS). GILS contains information on government records kept by Federal agencies, and is available electronically on the Internet at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/gils/gils.html --------------------- Making a FOIA Request --------------------- If you want to request a record which we don't publish or which we don't make available in one of our offices, give us a detailed description of the record(s) you want. You should give us as many details, such as names, dates, subject matter and location, if you know them. Not having a good description could delay our answer or prevent us from finding the records you want. We will ask you to revise your request if we need more information to find the record(s). It is easy to make a written FOIA request by mail. No form is needed. We have two locations where we process FOIA requests, depending on the type of request. Mark both the envelope and its contents: "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST " or "INFORMATON REQUEST." Don't include a return envelope. If you are requesting copies of applications for social security numbers (Form SS-5) for people who are deceased, address your request to: Social Security Administration Office of Central Records Operations FOIA Workgroup P.O. Box 17772 300 N. Greene Street Baltimore, Maryland 21290 Send all other FOIA requests to: Social Security Administration Office of Disclosure Policy, 3-A-6 Operations Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland, 21235 You can also write or give your written request to any Social Security field office. ------------------------------------ Records We Generally Cannot Disclose ------------------------------------ The FOIA does not require agencies to disclose all records. Some examples of records we may not disclose are: classified records, internal personnel rules, confidential by law, trade secrets or confidential financial information, personal information about living people, or records of investigations. ----------------- Fees and Payments ----------------- You may be required to pay a fee for the time we spend searching, reviewing, and copying records. We may charge a fee even if we are unable to locate or disclose any information or if we no longer have the record. SSA has two different fee schedules for requests for records: the FOIA fee schedule and a standard schedule based on average fee for frequently asked for documents. --------- FOIA Fees --------- The FOIA fee schedule has different provisions for different types of requesters. We will tell you what we will charge after looking at your request. Also, we let you know if your request will cost more than $250 before starting a search. The FOIA fees are based on the grade of the employee doing the work and the amount of time spent on the request, plus 10 cents per page for photocopying. The hourly fees for 1997 are: Grade Fee GS-1 through GS-8 $14 GS-9 through GS-14 $28 GS-15 and above $50 --------------------------------------------- Fee Schedule for Frequently Requested Records --------------------------------------------- Requests for records of Social Security number holders, claimants and wage earners are covered by a separate fee schedule. This fee schedule is based on the full cost of processing the request. We use an average fee for some frequently requested records: Social Security Number application search when you have the number - $7.00, Social Security Number application search when you don't have the number. In these cases we need identifying information (name, place and date of birth, father's full name, and mother's given and maiden names) to find the record - $16.50. Search for a claim file - $14 Photocopying material(s) - 10 cents per page plus postage. You can pay us by credit cards; we accept only Mastercard and Visa. We also accept checks or money orders payable to the Social Security Administration. --------------------------- How We Process Your Request --------------------------- Processing Categories --------------------- We try to handle your request within 20 days from the date we receive it. Sometimes it may take us longer depending on the difficulty of finding the record and how much other work we have. We process requests under a "first in" "first out" basis in three categories: 1. Simple requests where the receiving office has all the information it needs for the answer. These requests will take the least amount of time to process. 2. Requests where the receiving office needs more information from another SSA office(s). 3. Requests which require more information from another SSA or government office(s), and which may require additional decisions on releasing records from these offices. These requests take the longest to answer. Expedited Process ----------------- In addition to the above categories, we provide expedited handling when we find that there is a compelling need for the information. This is in cases when the request: 1. involves an imminent threat to a person's life or physical safety; or, 2. is made by a member of the media to obtain information that the public should know about urgently. The records would cover actual or alleged Federal Government activity. If you think that your request should be expedited, please explain your reasons fully in your request. Under this process, we decide within 10 days from the date of the request whether we will expedite it and notify you of our decision. Denials and Appeals ------------------- If we decide that we cannot disclose the records you seek in whole or in part, we can deny your request. In cases where we can provide some of the records, we will do so. In cases where we cannot disclose some or all of the records you requested, we will send you a written denial, explaining our reason(s) and your appeal rights, including going to the courts. Privacy Act Requests -------------------- If you are requesting your own record(s), we will process your request under the Privacy Act instead of under the FOIA. If you are requesting another person's records, you need the person's written consent to disclose them to you. In these cases, send your request, with the signed consent, to the manager of the Privacy Act System of Records, (if you have this information), your local Social Security office, or the Office of Disclosure Policy at the above address.