Carl Levin - United States Senator for Michigan: Helping You

Welcome

I first went to Washington as a United States senator committed to helping people solve problems and to serving the people of Michigan. This is a commitment I continue to take seriously.

My staff and I spend much of our time assisting Michigan residents who are having problems with federal agencies. Whether it's Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration or any other federal agency, my office can help you understand your rights and responsibilities relative to various federal programs and help you work through a problem you may have with a federal agency.

This is sometimes referred to as "casework." Often we identify recurring problems that lead to legislative initiatives. Please read the guidelines on this page for information on how my office may be able to assist you in dealing with a federal government agency. Clicking on one of the tabs across the top e.g. Medicare & Social Security, will take you to the page with detailed information about that specific issue. From that page, you can click on the Request Help link to fill out a simple online form and privacy release.

If your issue is time sensitive, please call my Detroit office at (313) 226-6020 or TTY/Voice toll-free (800) 851-0030 (in state).

Carl Levin

GUIDELINES

Before my office can help, we need the following »

Privacy Release Form
The Privacy Act of 1974 requires that I obtain your direct authorization before my office can initiate an inquiry on your behalf with a federal agency. Each of the pages in the Helping You section has an online form for you to fill out. Once you've completed the form and reviewed your information, the "Print and Submit" button will both submit your form electronically to my office and generate a PDF of your form and the privacy release statement for you to sign and then fax or mail to my Detroit office. Complete step-by-step instructions are found on each of the forms.

HIPAA Release Form
My office may need a HIPAA release form before we can request medical information related to a casework inquiry. Some inquiries that may require a HIPAA release include Social Security disability, Medicare, TRICARE, and some veterans programs.

My office will refer you elsewhere for the following issues »

State Issues
Some issues are handled at the state and local level, such as motor vehicles, Medicaid and workers' compensation. For help with state issues, you can contact your Michigan state senator or state representative.

Michigan.gov, the official website of the state of Michigan, offers links to every state agency as well as information on education and career development; family health and safety; travel and recreation; business services; and licensing, certification and permits.

Judicial Issues
Due to the Constitutional separation of powers, my office cannot help you with court matters. If you need a lawyer, you can contact either a private attorney or, if you are low-income or a senior, you can seek help from the Michigan Legal Assistance Network, a guide to free civil legal services for low-income persons and seniors in Michigan. The Michigan Indian Legal Services provides civil legal services to low-income Native Americans and tribes. The State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service can be contacted at (800) 968-0738.

Child Support
If you have a problem with child support enforcement, the office of the Attorney General of Michigan has a Child Support Division that may be able to assist you. You can reach them by calling (866) 729-5437 or via email at AGCSCD@michigan.gov. That office works to identify individuals who have the ability to pay support, but fail or refuse to do so.

If you are experiencing problems related to the administration of your local Friend of the Court office, you will need to contact the State Court Administrator's Office, Friend of the Court Bureau at (517) 373-4835.

All other concerns regarding a child support order, visitation agreement or custody should be handled through your private attorney and must be determined by a judge.

Primary Contact Info

Salutation *

First Name *

Middle Name

Last Name *

Suffix

Street Address *

Street Address (2)

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Primary Phone *

Secondary Phone

e-mail

Verify e-mail

Federal Agency Information

Federal Agency Involved *

With which office is your claim pending?

Contacted another congressional office?*

Description of Request

Description
(please describe the problem in as much detail as necessary)

Preview and Send Request

Please click on the Preview button to review any information you have entered on this page.

Once you have reviewed your information on the next page, press the Print and Submit button. This will generate a PDF containing all of the information you have entered as well as a privacy release form. Please print the form, sign and date the last page, and return the form in its entirety to my Detroit office by fax or mail.

Although the information on your form will be submitted to my office electronically, we cannot open an inquiry on your behalf until we receive your signed form.

Preview

This is a preview of your Request. Please confirm that all of the information below is correct before submitting. If you would like to make any changes to the information you have provided, please use the "Edit" button below. Using your browser's buttons to navigate will cause all form information to be lost.

Primary Contact Info - Preview

Salutation *

First Name *

Middle Name

Last Name *

Suffix

Street Address *

Street Address (2)

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Primary Phone *

Secondary Phone

e-mail

Federal Agency Information - Preview

Federal Agency Involved *

With which office is your claim pending?

Contacted another congressional office?*

Description of Request - Preview

Description
(please describe the problem in as much detail as necessary)

Preview and Send Request

Please review the information on this page. If you need to make any changes, click on the Edit button to return to the previous page.

To submit your request to my office, press the Print and Submit button. This will generate a PDF containing all of the information you have entered as well as a privacy release form. Please print the form, sign and date the last page, and return the form in its entirety to my Detroit office by fax or mail.

Although the information on your form will be submitted to my office electronically, we cannot open an inquiry on your behalf until we receive your signed form.

Edit

Preparing PDF...
Thank you for contacting me. The information on your form has been submitted electronically to my office. A PDF of your form is being generated automatically and should be ready within 10 seconds. If one is not available to download in that time, click here.

Once we have received your signed authorization, my staff will begin assessing how we can help. Please allow up to 30 days from the day we receive your release for my office to contact you. Thank you.