Form SSA-1696-SUP2 is the document a Social Security representative uses to formally withdraw from an appointment they previously accepted on Form SSA-1696. It ends the representative’s authority to act on the claim, and it takes effect on the date the Social Security Administration receives the signed form.1Social Security Administration. Appointment of Representative Form SSA-1696-SUP2 Instructions
What the Form Does
The SUP2 is the representative’s exit document. Where the original SSA-1696 created the appointment with signatures from both the claimant and the representative, the SUP2 comes from the representative’s side only. Once processed, the SSA stops sending case notices to that representative and no longer treats them as authorized to access the file, communicate about the claim, or appear at hearings on the claimant’s behalf.
The form is narrow in scope. It ends the appointment. It does not resolve any outstanding fee the representative may be owed for work already completed, and it does not on its own bring a new representative into the case.
Who Files It and What Goes on It
Only the representative files the SUP2. On the form, they enter the claimant’s Social Security number and their own Representative Identification Number (RepID), sign the withdrawal statement, and date it.1Social Security Administration. Appointment of Representative Form SSA-1696-SUP2 Instructions
The signed form goes to the SSA office handling the claim. If the case has moved to the hearing level, that means the Office of Hearing Operations with jurisdiction over the file rather than the local field office.
When the Withdrawal Takes Effect
The date of receipt controls. The representative’s authority ends when the SSA receives the signed SUP2, not when the representative mails it, tells the claimant they are done, or stops answering calls.1Social Security Administration. Appointment of Representative Form SSA-1696-SUP2 Instructions Until receipt, the SSA continues to treat the representative as appointed and will keep sending notices and development requests to them.
For a claimant, that timing matters. Anything the SSA sends to the outgoing representative before the withdrawal is processed is considered properly delivered, even if the representative has mentally checked out of the case. Confirming that the SSA has actually received and recorded the withdrawal is worth doing before assuming the claim is unrepresented.
Limits on When a Representative Can Withdraw
Representatives cannot walk away whenever they choose without consequence. Federal regulations require withdrawal only in a manner that does not disrupt the processing of the claim and that leaves the claimant adequate time to find someone new. Withdrawing after a hearing has already been scheduled, absent extraordinary circumstances, can violate the representative’s duties and expose them to sanctions before the SSA.2Social Security Administration. POMS: DI 31001.001 – Representation of Claimants
The rules of conduct that apply to representatives run broader than the withdrawal question, but the same fiduciary framework governs how a representative exits. Competent representation, prompt action, and reasonable communication with the claimant remain in force up until the withdrawal is effective.3Code of Federal Regulations. Rules of Conduct and Standards of Responsibility for Representatives A representative who violates these duties faces suspension or disqualification from practicing before the SSA.
Fees After Withdrawal
The SUP2 requires the representative to indicate what they intend to do about their fee. There are two choices: waive the fee entirely, or file a fee petition for work already completed.1Social Security Administration. Appointment of Representative Form SSA-1696-SUP2 Instructions
If the representative waives the fee, that is the end of the money question. If they intend to seek payment, they file a fee petition itemizing services performed, time spent, and expenses incurred, and the SSA evaluates whether the requested amount is reasonable.4Social Security Administration. Fee Agreements The petition process applies even if the case was originally set up under a fee agreement, because a representative who withdraws before a favorable decision generally cannot rely on the fee agreement route.
A fee petition does not guarantee payment. The SSA reviews the itemized work against what is reasonable given the results (if any) achieved. If the claim later succeeds with a new representative, the withdrawn representative may still be entitled to a share of any authorized fee for work they performed while appointed.
What the Claimant Should Do After a Withdrawal
A withdrawal leaves the claim unrepresented. The SSA will begin communicating directly with the claimant again once the SUP2 is processed, and any deadlines already running continue to run.
If the claimant wants a new representative, that requires a fresh SSA-1696 appointing the new person, signed by both the claimant and the new representative and submitted to the SSA. A new appointment does not need to reference the prior representative or wait for the old file to close; the SUP2 has already ended the previous appointment.
If the claimant simply wants to proceed alone, no further action is needed. The SSA will resume sending notices and requests directly to the claimant at the address on file.
Withdrawal Is Not the Same as Revocation
The SUP2 is the representative’s form. It cannot be used by a claimant who wants to fire their representative. A claimant-initiated termination is a revocation, and it uses a different process: a written, dated, signed statement identifying the representative whose authority is ending.5Social Security Administration. POMS: GN 03910.060 – Termination of a Representatives Appointment The SSA provides optional Form SSA-1696-SUP1 for that purpose, though any written statement with the required information works.6Social Security Administration. Instructions for Completing Form SSA-1696-SUP1
The distinction matters because the two forms move in opposite directions. SUP2 is signed by the representative to leave the case. SUP1 is signed by the claimant to end the representative’s authority. Sending the wrong one delays the change the claimant or representative is trying to make.
One related trap: appointing a new representative on a fresh SSA-1696 does not automatically cancel a prior appointment. If a claimant wants to switch representatives, they need a revocation for the old one along with the new appointment, or two representatives may end up on file at once.7Social Security Administration. HA 01110.030 Termination of a Representatives Appointment
Confirming the Withdrawal Went Through
Because the withdrawal only takes effect on receipt, and because sanctions can attach to disruptive exits, both sides have reason to confirm the SSA has actually recorded the SUP2. For the representative, that means retaining proof of submission. For the claimant, it means checking that SSA notices are now coming directly to them and that no correspondence is still being routed to the former representative. If notices continue going to the wrong place, the withdrawal may not yet be in the file, and a call to the office handling the claim can clear that up before a deadline slips.