Q: Can a class action suit be filed against a federal agency like the Social Security Administration?
A: Yes, a class action suit can be filed against the Social Security Administration or another federal agency. In fact, there have been several class action suits against the Social Security Administration that have either resulted in a favorable settlement or adjudication. A well-known case, Sullivan v. Zebley 493 U.S. 521 (1990) went to the U.S. Supreme Court and resulted in a decision that substantial parts of the SSI program's regulation on determining disability for children were inconsistent with the Social Security Act; particularly, the statutory standard of “comparable severity.” The Social Security Administration changed its Child SSI regulations as a result.
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