Summary
Positions under this announcement are being filled using a Direct Hire Authority (DHA)(SSA-001), open to all U.S. citizens. Selections made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given new appointments to the civil service. Under the provisions of the DHA, Veterans Preference and the "Rule of Three" do not apply. NOTE: Telework may be available in accordance with agency policy. This IS NOT a virtual position.
Duties
- Once selected as a Benefit Authorizer in SSA, you will effectuate benefit entitlement decisions.
- This includes having direct telephone contact with the public to resolve issues or discrepancies and provide them with their rights under Social Security laws.
- You will be responsible for adjusting established benefits and effectuating payments and using computer technology to access and update information about claims.
- Benefit Authorizers (BAs) determine if applicants are eligible to receive or continue receiving benefits and/or payments for various Social Security programs.
- They answer questions from callers to Social Security's 800 number telephone network, resolve issues or discrepancies and explain Social Security program information to the public.
Education
SUBSTITUTING EDUCATION: If you are qualifying for this position based on completed education at an accredited U.S. college, university, or other educational institution, you must provide a copy of your transcripts or other proof of education prior to being appointed. NOTE: Education completed in a foreign institution must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs. It is the applicant's responsibility to acquire U.S. Certification and provide it at the time of application. For a list of Credential Evaluation Services, log on to: Credential Evaluation Services. GS-7: One full year of graduate level education in any field. One year of full-time graduate education is defined as 18 earned semester hours or 27 earned quarter hours. A combination of graduate level education and the specialized experience as described above OR a Bachelor's degree and superior academic achievement in any field can be applied as a substitution. Superior academic achievement is based on: Graduated in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision; OR Graduated with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher out of 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR Graduated with a 3.5 GPA or higher based on the average of all the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society that meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies (except for freshman honor societies). COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Experience and education as described above may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements. GS-7: Experience and graduate level education as described above may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements. Experience and education will be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal to 100 percent when combined. For information on providing proof of education or substituting education for experience, visit General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov)