In my last post, I described Social Security’s new “paperless file system” that utilizes scanned documents rather than paper documents.  You may be wondering how written records get into the system.

Social Security uses a bar code system that works as follows:  if you have evidence or documentation that you want to submit to Social Security, you must submit the hard copies by fax to a designated number.  The first page of any such fax must be a cover sheet with a bar code associated with a particular claimant.  Here is what a bar code cover sheet looks like:

Presumably, a Social Security employee at the receiving end uses the bar code to scan the faxed documents into Social Security’s system.  As noted in my previous post, Social Security scans into TIFF format instead of PDF.

If you are proceeding on your own or if you are a lawyer unfamiliar with the new paperless system, make sure to utilize the bar code cover sheet or you risk delay or loss of your documents.