Claims Specialist

How to submit your resume:

To submit a detailed Federal Resume that addresses KSAs, please email your resume as an attachment (PDF or Word) to OH.Northern.Ohio.Recruitment@ssa.gov. Include “Handshake” in the subject line.

Claims Specialist – Field Office

Position Overview
Claims Specialists (CS) in Field Offices play a vital role in delivering Social Security benefits and services to the public, both in-person and over the phone. As a Claims Specialist, you will:

• Conduct interviews to obtain, clarify, and verify information for initial eligibility for various benefits.
• Resolve discrepancies, clarify issues, and make final decisions for initial and post-entitlement benefits and payments.
• Adjudicate entitlement or disallowance actions.
• Use SSA’s computer systems to access and update claims information.

Qualifications
To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen and possess excellent communication and people skills. Additional qualifications are based on experience, education, or a combination of both, as outlined below:

GS-5 Level:

• Three years of general experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the federal service that demonstrates the ability to:
  1. Review problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions.
  2. Plan and organize work.
  3. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Examples of qualifying experience include reviewing, explaining, applying, or interpreting rules, regulations, or policies.
• OR a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree.

GS-7 Level:

• One year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level (or equivalent) that demonstrates the ability to:
  1. Assist individuals in establishing their entitlement to receive benefits (e.g., retirement, disability, public aid, insurance, taxes, etc.).
  2. Adjudicate, authorize, or reconsider claims.
  3. Explain benefit entitlements or requirements to the general public.
  4. Evaluate benefit program operations to assess integrity and quality.
  5. Interpret benefit program requirements to formulate policies, procedures, or guidelines.
• OR a 4-year degree with superior academic achievement.
• OR one year of graduate-level study.

Salary & Advancement
Entry into these positions is at the GS-5 or GS-7 level, with career ladder advancement opportunities up to the GS-11 level. Salaries are competitive and include locality adjustments based on job location. SSA offers promotion opportunities and a wide variety of positions in offices across the country.

Benefits

• 13 paid vacation days per year, increasing to 20 days after 3 years, and 26 days after 15 years of service.
• 13 paid sick days per year.
• 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus access to flexible spending accounts.
• Life insurance.
• Pension benefits under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).
• Optional Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K), with government matching up to 5% of your salary.
• Flexible work schedules.
• Potential overtime opportunities.
• Eligibility for the Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program.

Salary Increases
GS positions offer salary increases based on years of successful performance. The longer you work for SSA, the more your salary will grow. For more information, see OPM GS Pay Schedules.

Make a Difference in Your Community
Social Security helps people through their life’s journey in many ways. As a Claims Specialist, you will make a positive difference in the lives of people from all walks of life who need help applying for retirement, disability, and other critical benefits and services.

How to Contact Us

Please email OH.Northern.Ohio.Recruitment@ssa.gov with the following:

1. Subject Line: “Handshake and [your name]”
2. In the email body include your current address and preferred office location(s). 
3. Include, as attachments:
   • Cover Letter
   • Resume 
   • References

Please do NOT include any links to documents as they will not be opened. Send your information to OH.Northern.Ohio.Recruitment@ssa.gov.