Social Security

Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Talking and Listening to Customers (TLC)

Effective Date: August 7, 2000 

(65 F.R. 48272)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION NOTICE OF SYSTEM OF RECORDS REQUIRED BY THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974

System number: 60-0276

System name:        

Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Talking and Listening to Customers (TLC)

Security classification:

None.

System location: 

Social Security Administration 

Office of Customer Service Integration 

Room 938 Altmeyer Building 

6401 Security Boulevard 

Baltimore, Maryland 21235

Categories of individuals covered by the system: 

Any SSA customer (individual or entity who is directly served by a department or agency), which includes the general public and Social Security claimants/beneficiaries who provide feedback via complaints, compliments, or suggestions to SSA.

Categories of records in the system: 

 The information maintained in this system of records includes identifying information such as the customer’s name, Social Security number (SSN), Employer Identification Number (EIN) and/or Claim Number, telephone number, and address, if given by the individual.  Also, information concerning the content and disposition of customers’ compliments, complaints, or suggestions will be maintained in the system.

Authority for maintenance of the system: 

Executive Order 12862, “Setting Customer Service Standards.”

Purpose(s): 

The TLC system will capture information our customers provide concerning complaints, compliments and/or suggestions about SSA programs, policy, laws and service.  We will use data from the TLC system to support SSA’s business planning, policy development, communication strategies and operational and service enhancements.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes for such uses: 

Disclosure may be made for routine uses as indicated below:

1.  Disclosure to the Office of the President for the purpose of responding to an individual pursuant to an inquiry from that office made at the request of the subject of a record.

2.  Disclosure to a Congressional Office in response to an inquiry from that office made at the request of the subject of a record.

3.  Disclosure to student volunteers and other workers, who do not have the status of Federal employees, when they are performing work for SSA as authorized by law, and they need access to personally identifiable information in SSA records in order to perform their assigned Agency functions.

4.  Disclosure to contractors and other Federal agencies, as necessary, for the purpose of assisting SSA in the efficient administration of a function relating to this system of records.

5.  Non-tax return information which is not restricted from disclosure by Federal law may be disclosed to the General Services Administration (GSA) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under 44 U.S.C. § 2904 and § 2906, as amended by NARA Act of 1984, for the use of those agencies in conducting records management studies.

6.  We may disclose information to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, entities, and persons when (1) we suspect or confirm that the security or confidentiality of information in this system of records has been compromised; (2) we determine that as a result of the suspected or confirmed compromise there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, identity theft or fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this system or other systems or programs of SSA that rely upon the compromised information; and (3) we determine that disclosing the information to such agencies, entities, and persons is necessary to assist in our efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm. SSA will use this routine use to respond only to those incidents involving an unintentional release of its records.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, safeguarding, retaining and disposing of records in the system:

Storage: 

Data are stored in electronic and paper form.

Retrievability: 

Records in this system are indexed and retrieved by name, SSN, EIN and/or claim number.

Safeguards: 

Security measures include the use of access codes to enter the database and the storage of the electronic records in secured areas which are accessible only to employees who require the information in performing their official duties.  The paper records that result from the electronic site are kept in locked cabinets or in otherwise secure areas.  SSA contractor personnel having access to data in the system of records are required to adhere to SSA rules concerning safeguards, access and use of the data.  They also are informed of the criminal penalties of the Privacy Act for unauthorized access to or disclosure of information maintained in this system of records.

Retention and disposal: 

The TLC tracking and management information maintained in this system are retained indefinitely or until it is determined that they are no longer needed.  Means of disposal is appropriate to storage medium (e.g., deletion of individual records from the electronic site when appropriate, or shredding of paper records, etc.).

System manager(s) and address: 

Social Security Administration 

Office of Systems 

Office of Information Management 

Room 3420 West High Rise Building 

6401 Security Boulevard 

Baltimore, Maryland 21235

Notification procedures:

An individual can determine if this system contains a record about him/her by writing to the systems manager(s) at the above address and providing his/her name, SSN or other information that may be in the system of records that will identify him/her.  An individual requesting notification of records in person should provide the same information, as well as provide an identity document, preferably with a photograph, such as a driver’s license or some other means of identification, such as a voter registration card, credit card, etc.  If an individual does not have any identification documents sufficient to establish his/her identity, the individual must certify in writing that he/she is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.

If notification is requested by telephone, an individual must verify his/her identity by providing identifying information that parallels the record to which notification is being requested.  If it is determined that the identifying information provided by telephone is insufficient, the individual will be required to submit a request in writing or in person.  If an individual is requesting information by telephone on behalf of another individual, the subject individual must be connected with SSA and the requesting individual in the same phone call.  SSA will establish the subject individual’s identity (his/her name, SSN, address, date of birth and place of birth along with one other piece of information such as mother’s maiden name) and ask for his/her consent in providing information to the requesting individual.

If a request for notification is submitted by mail, an individual must include a notarized statement to SSA to verify his/her identity or must certify in the request that he/she is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.  These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR § 401.40).

Record access procedures: 

Same as notification procedures.  Requesters should also reasonably specify the record contents being sought.  These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR 401.40).

Contesting record procedures: 

Same as notification procedures.  Requesters should also reasonably identify the record, specify the information they are contesting, state the corrective action sought, and the reasons for the correction with supporting justification showing how the record is untimely, incomplete, inaccurate, or irrelevant.  These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR 401.65).

Record source categories: 

Data for the system are obtained primarily from the individuals to whom the record pertains.

Systems exempted from certain provisions of the privacy act: 

None.