Social Insurance Specialist (Claims Specialist) (ICTAP) (Temporary)

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.

PROOF OF EDUCATION: If you are qualifying on the basis of education or satisfying an educational requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application.

You must submit your transcripts according to the application submission details of this announcement. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail. If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of the personnel action placing you into the new position. GS-11: Ph.D.

OR

equivalent doctoral degree, or successful completion of three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D.

OR

equivalent degree, or LL.M. Combining Education and Experience: GS-11: Experience and graduate level education beyond the second year may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirement.

Note: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school you attended has determined to represent one year of study. If this information is not provided, we will consider 18 semester/27 quarter hours to be equal to one year of full-time graduate study. Experience and education will be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal to 100 percent when combined.

The evaluation you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire.

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupation questionnaire, which is designed to capture the desired competencies for this position. The following knowledge, skills, and abilities are necessary to perform the duties of this position: Knowledge of principles, objectives, policies and procedures of a benefits entitlement programs Ability to research, interpret and apply standards, directives, policies and legislation. Ability to communicate orally.

Ability to communicate in writing. Skill in using online technology and automation tools. Ability to manage multiple priorities and balance workloads. Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully.

Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. The questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. To preview the questions, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12963870

In addition to the minimum qualifications, applicants must be eligible under the following category: Displaced or surplus Federal employees eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) who have held a GS-11 or above, and in the commuting area of the listed duty locations.

In addition to meeting the basic eligibility criteria, ICTAP applicants must be well qualified for the position. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Under numeric rating procedures, qualified ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of 85 or higher to be eligible for selection.

This is not a career-ladder position; GS-11 is the full performance level. This is a bargaining unit position represented by the American Federation of Government Employees. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.

See www.sss.gov. Additional selections may be made for this vacancy six months from the closing date of this announcement. LOCALITY PAY: Salary will be set in accordance with locality pay provisions. Refer to Salaries & Wages for locality pay tables.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Your Resume Proof of ICTAP eligibility Transcripts (if applicable) The Occupational Questionnaire Additional Required Documents, if applicable (see Required Documents section) The complete Application Package must be submitted before midnight (ET) on 05/26/2026. To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.

Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process. If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with the application process, please contact [email protected].

Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email or 7-1-1 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services to call the listed phone number. Additional Telecommunications Relay Services options are available in each state: https://www.fcc.gov/general/trs-state-and-territories Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.

To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log in to your USAJOBS account.

Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered, please visit the new resume guidance for more information.

You must submit supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to claim certain types of preference or qualify on the basis of education. INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP): ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. To receive selection priority, candidates must meet the requirements for the Well Qualified category as described in the vacancy announcement.

Candidates must also provide: proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation Notice of Personnel Action, (SF-50); and proof of your most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent. For more information visit http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

PROOF OF EDUCATION: If you are qualifying on the basis of education or satisfying an educational requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application.

You must submit your transcripts according to the application submission details of this announcement. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail. If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of the personnel action placing you into the new position.