Social Security Administration January 13, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 303 of the Social Security Protection Act of 2004 (SSPA), Public Law No. 108-203, requires the Commissioner of Social Security (the Commissioner) to develop and implement a five-year nationwide demonstration project that will extend to certain non- attorney representatives of claimants under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act (the Act) the option to have approved representatives' fees withheld and paid directly from a beneficiary's past-due benefits. Currently, this option is available only to representatives who are attorneys. Non-attorney representatives who wish to participate in the demonstration project must meet the prerequisites specified in section 303 of the SSPA, and any additional prerequisites that the Commissioner may prescribe. The purpose of this notice is to provide information about the prerequisites that non-attorney representatives will be required to satisfy and about our plans for administering the prerequisites process. We will post further details about the prerequisites process (e.g., when and how to apply) on our Web site at https:// www.socialsecurity.gov when they become available.