Because of the large volume of Social Security individual benefits cases filed each year, it is imperative that the Office of General Counsel for the Social Security Administration (OGC/SSA), through the appropriate OGC/SSA component office (either a Regional Counsel’s Office or, for some districts, the OGC/SSA Office of Program Law), receive notification of suit within five days from service of the Summons and Complaint on a United States Attorney.

Unless otherwise agreed to by SSA, for all lawsuits against SSA involving individual benefits, email (do not fax) notifications of suit to the OGC/SSA component office responsible for the district in which the suit was filed. The names and current addresses of the SSA/OGC component offices and the judicial districts for which each component office has responsibility are published in the Federal Register. The most recent notice of the district assignments for the SSA Regional Counsels’ Offices and the SSA Office of Program Law was issued on February 23, 2017. See https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-02-23/pdf/2017-03495.pdf . Those district assignments may vary over time. Contact the SSA/OGC Office of Program Law at (410) 966-2305 if you have questions about where to send notifications about new Social Security benefits cases or the proper email address to use.

Please include the plaintiff's first and last names in the subject line, and include the following information in the notification email:

1. • Plaintiff's first and last names
2. • Plaintiff's full Social Security Number
3. • Civil action number and district
4. • Date of filing of complaint
5. • Date that service was effected on United States Attorney's Office (and any defects in service)
6. • Answer due date
7. • Name of Assistant U.S. Attorney
8. • Whether the plaintiff is pro se
9. • Date of any filing for petition for in forma pauperis status

If the plaintiff's full Social Security number is not listed on the complaint, please send the email notification to SSA but note the omission, and obtain this information from the Clerk's office or plaintiff's attorney. Without the full number, SSA cannot be sure that it is producing the proper record.

In almost all cases filed against the agency, the appropriate OGC/SSA component office receives Notices of Electronic Filing (NEFs) through the "interested party" status with the courts. If you are aware of any cases filed against the agency in which the appropriate OGC/SSA component office is not receiving NEFs from the court, please forward all such NEFs to the applicable email addresses for that component office and, if appropriate, facilitate communication between the court and the component office to ensure direct transmission of NEFs to the appropriate email address for the appropriate OGC/SSA component office. When the Regional Office of General Counsel receives NEFs, you do not need to forward emails or send copies of court decisions.

[updated April 2018]