The Social Security Administration recently updated its Program Operations Manual System (POMS) in an effort to improve customer service for transgendered individuals. These are the types of things Social Security used to be slow to respond to, but with many changes made over the last decade in regard to gender identity and same sex Social Security benefits it was time for the agency to adapt. Below is the announcement from Social Security regarding customer assistance to transgendered individuals.
- Transgender Identity
All individuals have a gender identity, which is an internal sense of being either male or female. A transgender individual has a gender identity that is different than the sex identified in his or her original birth certificate.
- Gender Transition
Gender transition is the process by which an individual stops living as his or her sex, as identified at birth, and begins living as his or her self-identified gender. Some transgender individuals seek medical treatment while transitioning (e.g., counseling, hormone therapy, electrolysis, reassignment surgery); however, not all transgender individuals take the same steps as part of their gender transition.
- Policy For Interviewing Transgender Individuals
Our policy is to provide meaningful access to all of our programs, provide sensitive service to all individuals, and treat them with dignity and respect.
- Procedure For Interviewing Transgender Individuals
Transgender individuals contact us for all of the same reasons other people do. During and after any interaction with a transgender individual, be mindful to:
- Protect the confidentiality of each individual;
- Always treat the individual with dignity and respect;
- Ask only questions that are necessary to complete the transaction;
- When speaking to or calling a person, use the name and pronouns appropriate to the individual’s self-identified gender, even if the person has not changed his or her name or updated his or her records; and
- Be aware that the individual’s gender transition is a personal matter. Questions or comments regarding a person’s medical treatment and appearance are inappropriate.
