One of the most valuable — and least known — services your congressional office provides is casework: helping people in their district resolve problems with federal agencies. This is called casework (free help from your official's office), and it's nonpartisan and available to everyone.
Congressional casework is when a member of Congress's office acts as a liaison between you and a federal agency. Caseworkers — staff members dedicated to this role — contact the agency on your behalf, request status updates, and help resolve delays or disputes. They cannot change the law or guarantee an outcome, but they can often cut through bureaucratic delays.
This service is available from both your US Senators' offices and your US House Representative's office. You can contact any or all of them for help with the same issue.
Delayed benefits, denied claims, appeals, missing payments, or questions about eligibility. The Social Security Administration (SSA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are among the most common agencies involved in casework.
Disability claims, healthcare enrollment, GI Bill benefits, pension issues, and appeals. VA casework is one of the most frequent types congressional offices handle.
Visa processing delays, green card applications, naturalization, and passport issues. Congressional offices can request status updates from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the State Department.
Delayed refunds, identity theft cases, missing stimulus payments, and disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.
FEMA disaster assistance, Small Business Administration loans, federal student loans, military records, and issues with any other federal department or agency.
Find your official's casework page
Visit the My Democracy legislator directory to find your representative. Most congressional offices have a "Help with a Federal Agency" or "Casework" page on their official website with an intake form.
Submit a privacy release form
Federal agencies can't share your information with a congressional office without your written permission. You'll need to sign a Privacy Act release form, which the office will provide.
Provide documentation
Gather relevant documents: case numbers, claim IDs, correspondence from the agency, and a clear description of the problem. The more information you provide, the faster the office can help.
Follow up
The caseworker will contact the agency and keep you updated. Response times vary, but don't hesitate to check in if you haven't heard back in a few weeks.
Find your officials and reach out to their casework team.
Write to Your Officials