Source: https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/416/416-1540.htm
Timestamp: 2017-02-22 13:00:10
Document Index: 459636752

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 416', '§\u2009416', '§\u2009416', '§\u2009416', '§\u2009416', '§\u2009416', '§\u2009416', '§\u2009416', '§\u2009416']

Code of Federal Regulations § 416.1540
§ 416.1540. Rules of conduct and standards of responsibility for representatives.(a) Purpose and scope. (1) All attorneys or other persons acting on behalf of a party seeking a statutory right or benefit must, in their dealings with us, faithfully execute their duties as agents and fiduciaries of a party. A representative must provide competent assistance to the claimant and recognize our authority to lawfully administer the process. The following provisions set forth certain affirmative duties and prohibited actions that will govern the relationship between the representative and us, including matters involving our administrative procedures and fee collections.
(b) Affirmative duties. A representative must, in conformity with the regulations setting forth our existing duties and responsibilities and those of claimants (see § 416.912 in disability and blindness claims):
(1) Act with reasonable promptness to help obtain the information or evidence that the claimant must submit under our regulations, and forward the information or evidence to us for consideration as soon as practicable.
(2) Assist the claimant in complying, as soon as practicable, with our requests for information or evidence at any stage of the administrative decisionmaking process in his or her claim. In disability and blindness claims, this includes the obligation pursuant to § 416.912(c) to assist the claimant in providing, upon our request, evidence about:
(i) The claimant's medical source(s);
(ii) The claimant's age;
(iii) The claimant's education and training;
(iv) The claimant's work experience;
(v) The claimant's daily activities both before and after the date the claimant alleges that he or she became disabled;
(vi) The claimant's efforts to work; and
(vii) Any other factors showing how the claimant's impairment(s) affects his or her ability to work. In §§ 416.960 through 416.969a, we discuss in more detail the evidence we need when we consider vocational factors;
(4) Conduct business with us electronically at the times and in the manner we prescribe on matters for which the representative requests direct fee payment. (See § 416.1513).
(4) Through his or her own actions or omissions, unreasonably delay or cause to be delayed, without good cause (see § 416.1411(b)), the processing of a claim at any stage of the administrative decisionmaking process;
(i) Repeated absences from or persistent tardiness at scheduled proceedings without good cause (see § 416.1411(b));
(12) Knowingly assist a person whom we suspended or disqualified to provide representational services in a proceeding under title XVI of the Act, or to exercise the authority of a representative described in § 416.1510; or
[63 FR 41417, Aug. 4, 1998, as amended at 76 FR 56109, Sept. 12, 2011; 76 FR 80247, Dec. 23, 2011; 80 FR 14838, Mar. 20, 2015]