Casework: Requesting Assistance with a Federal Agency

To request assistance with an issue with a federal agency, please fill out this form.

Read below for more details about information we might need, and types of services we offer.

In this section:            

Requirements for initiating assistance from our office:
              Requests for all types of federal casework assistance are best placed
              in writing. When writing a letter to request assistance from our
              office with a federal agency, please be sure to include:    

  • First and Last Name of petitioner (including all aliases, maiden
                    names, etc.);
                 
  • First and Last Names of all beneficiaries (including all aliases,
                    maiden names, etc.);
                 
  • Address in the 9th Congressional District of California;
                 
  • Contact Phone numbers (home, work, and cell, if applicable);
                 
  • E-mail address (if applicable);
  • Social Security Number (*it is necessary to include your SSN
                    if you are requesting assistance with the Social Security Administration
                    or the Internal Revenue Service);
                 
  • Date of Birth (optional, but helpful for Social Security, IRS,
                    or immigration matters);
                 
  • A brief description of the problem;
                 
  • copies of any correspondence mailed to or received from the
                    agency;
                 
  • any additional information specific to your case (e.g., Alien
                    Registration Number, OWCP claim number).
               

            For cases that have already been filed:

  • A copy of the Notice of Receipt.  In addition to the A#
                    and the WAC #, this document will tell us where the case was filed
                    and the notice date, which CIS uses to determine when a case will
                    be adjudicated.
    Internal Revenue Service:

                  *When requesting assistance with the Internal Revenue Service, you
                  must complete an IRS Authorization Release Form, which allows the
                  IRS to share confidential information with our office when handling
                  your case. Without this signed form, we can initiate an inquiry,
                  however the IRS will not be able to complete the review of the case. 
                  Please be assured that all information pertaining to constituent
                  casework is strictly confidential and is used for no other purpose
                  than for the handling of your case.

Speaking with a caseworker from
              our office:

              If you would like to call and speak with a caseworker, the information
              above is necessary to initiate the case. However, we ask that you
              mail a brief description of the problem to the office (in order
              to document your request for our assistance).


If you would like to speak with a caseworker in person about your
              case, please contact our Oakland Office 
              to schedule an appointment.

Information for specific federal
              agencies:

              To obtain more detailed information on a specific federal
              agency, please visit the following links:

Social Security Administration (SSA)

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Dept of Veterans' Affairs (VA)

Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS)
Visas
Passports

Social Security Administration
Social Security/Medicare

      For a listing of free publications
      distributed by the SSA:
    
      1-800-772-1213
    
      www.ssa.gov/pubs     

  • Local Social Security offices:

Berkeley

      2045 Allston Way

      Berkeley, CA 94704

      (510) 486-3122

Downtown Oakland

      2115 Broadway

      Oakland, CA 94612

      (510) 273-6588

East Oakland/Foothill Square

      10700 MacArthur Boulevard #13

      Oakland, CA 94605

      (510) 273-4152

Medicaid (known as MediCal in CA), though partially funded by both the federal government and individual states, is administered at the state level.  For problems with
MediCal, please contact your CA State Assemblyperson (e.g. Dion Aroner or Wilma Chan) or CA State Senator (i.e., Don Perata).

If you are filing for regular Social Security and Medicare
retirement benefits:

*If you are seeking to file for benefits for the first
time you  must appear before a local Social Security Office.

When you appear at a local Social Security Administration office, please bring positive identification and proof of age. If possible, it will be helpful, but not necessary, to bring W-2
forms which show the wages paid into Social Security.

Note:  Social Security now generates annual statements which are sent to
all taxpayers around the time of one's birthday which indicate SS wages paid. It
is a good idea to reconcile what your W-2 records indicate in terms of SS paid
versus what the SS statement indicates.

If you are filing for Disability Benefits (SSDI), Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), or Survivor's benefits you must be prepared to provide
information which substantiates your claim.

If you are
denied benefits:

You will be notified in writing by SSA, at which time you have 60 days to file an appeal. You may file an appeal directly with the Social Security Administration (your denial letter
will provide instructions on how to do this), or you may seek assistance from
Congresswoman Lee's office (if you are a resident of the 9th Congressional
District of California).  If you seek the Congresswoman's assistance,
please be sure to provide your denial letter, your reasons why you disagree with
SSA, and supporting documentation to substantiate your claim.

Assuming all information is provided, local SS offices
typically respond within 30 days to a Congressional inquiry.

To appeal a denial of benefits:

If you have already filed an appeal with a local SSA office (either in person,
or through the Congresswoman's office) and that appeal is denied, you may have
the right to a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Your denial
letter will detail your options.  If you wish to plead your case before an
ALJ, you will need to fill out an HA-501 "Request for
Hearing by Administrative Law Judge" form.

The local office of the
Social Security Administrative Law Judge is located at:


Social Security Administrative Law Judge

Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building

1301 Clay Street, North Tower, Second Floor

Oakland, CA 94612

(510) 444-1880


Note: There are a backlog of cases in the ALJ office,
and a hearing before an ALJ may be delayed for several weeks or months.

To appeal a decision by an Administrative Law Judge:

If you have had a hearing before an ALJ and the ALJ did not rule in your favor,
you have 60 days to file an appeal with the SSA Appeals Council in Falls Church,
VA. You may appeal directly to the Falls Church Office, or via the assistance of
the Congresswoman. If you wish to have your case reviewed by the Appeals
Council, you will need to fill out an HA-520 "Request
for Review of Hearing Decision" form.


1-800-772-1213

toll free TDD service: 1-800-325-0778

7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m Monday - Friday


Note:  The Appeals Council is extremely
backlogged. It is not unusual for appeals in this office, at a minimum, to take
more than six months to be reviewed, and is usually longer.


If the Appeals Council denies your claim:


If the Appeals Council denies your claim, unless there is new evidence
presented, your options are to accept the decision or seek independent legal
counsel to explore your options. Unfortunately, the Congresswoman is prohibited
from engaging in legal matters on behalf of constituents.


If you are contacting the Congresswoman for
non-denial-of-benefit issues (i.e., missing payment or direct deposit;
notice of reduction of benefits), please be sure to include all pertinent
information that will assist with your claim (e.g., expected amount of benefit
check; bank statements; documentation which should refute a benefit reduction)
when filing.