Field Office-Claims Specialist

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 Many" do not apply. NOTE: Telework may be available in accordance with agency policy. This IS NOT a virtual position.

Duties

• Once selected for the Claims Specialist position in SSA, you will contribute to the Agency's mission through direct and personal service to the public. This includes speaking with beneficiaries about their rights under the Social Security laws, gathering facts and evidence to establish eligibility for benefits, making critical decisions to determine the amount of benefits paid to individuals, and using state-of-the-art computer technology to access and update information about claims. Claims Specialists conduct interviews with the public to obtain, clarify, and verify information about initial and continuing eligibility for retirement, survivors, disability, health insurance benefits, and eligibility for supplemental security income including State supplements. In addition, they resolve discrepancies, clarify issues and make final decisions for initial and post-entitlement for benefits and payments; adjudicate and authorize entitlement or disallowance actions at all levels of difficulty and complexity under programs administered by SSA.

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-5: Completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree OR a combination of post-high school education and the general experience described above. One year of study is defined as 30 earned semester hours or 45 earned quarter hours. 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). GS-9: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D. If you are selected for the position, you must provide your official college transcripts prior to being appointed. COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Experience and education as described above may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements. GS-5: 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. GS-9: Experience and higher-level graduate 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)