Help with a Federal Agency
Navigating the federal government can be difficult, frustrating and filled with bureaucratic red tape – but my office is here to help you cut through it. Whether your benefits are backlogged or you just aren’t getting an answer from an agency, we will work to get you timely assistance. To help us better serve you, please complete all information in the form below.
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST HELP
Upon completion of the above digital release form, you will receive a confirmation email. The Privacy Act of 1974requires Members of Congress and their staff to have written authorization before they may obtain information about an individual's case. We must have your signature to proceed with casework requests. Please include all pertinent information and claim numbers in your correspondence, such as:
- Social Security Administration – Your SSN
- Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Your ID number and SSN
- DOD – SSN, branch and component
- Veterans Affairs – Claim number (if applicable), SSN, branch and component
- Department of State, Passports – Application number and date of travel (if applicable)
- Department of State, Other – NVC or Embassy case number
- USCIS – Receipt number and Service Center or Field Office Location
- Department of Education – Your SSN
- Internal Revenue Service – Your SSN or EIN if filing for a company
- Office of Personnel Management – Your annuitant or CSA claim number and your SSN
- Other Agencies – Include all relevant information to your case
It is important to first select the correct agency involved as the form will adjust to meet that agency’s specific needs. Please clearly and concisely explain the situation and desired outcome(s) in the description box of the release form. There will be a section to attach documents at the end. If you are having difficulty with the release form, please call our office at (651) 846-2120 or email RepCraigCasework@mail.house.gov for assistance.
Our office can send inquiries to federal agencies to ask questions, fact find, receive case updates and address agency errors when applicable. We cannot, however, offer legal advice, representation or compel agencies to make or change certain determinations. If you aren’t sure if our office can assist with your case, contact us and we can help you navigate next steps.
Please see a sample list below of the services we offer by agency:
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Inquiring on overpayment claims
Tracking overdue backpay or halted benefits
Medicare (CMS)
Adjusting start dates
Reporting incorrect charges
Veterans Affairs (VA)
Status of a claim for benefits
Status of a disability compensation or pension claim
Issues with VA health care services
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Performing status checks
Requesting expedited processing
Submitting evidence
Department of State
Checking status of applications at the National Visa Center or US Embassies/Consulates overseas
Tracking the status of a passport application or requesting an emergency passport appointment if your travel is within two weeks
Requesting expedited processing of an apostille
US Postal Service (USPS)
Fixing address issues
Resolving incorrect delivery claims
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Tax return processing status
Assistance with tax refunds
Small Business Administration (SBA)
Help applying for EIDL and PPP
Loan status checks
Other Agencies
Reach out to our office to speak with one of our staff members for more information. Even if we aren’t able to help directly, we can likely point you in the direction of where you can go next for help. You can reach us at (651) 846-2120 or email RepCraigCasework@mail.house.gov for further assistance.
Mental health crisis resources
If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out for help using the resources below:
Text 988 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the National Suicide Hotline
For Veterans and their loved ones: Text 838255 or call 988 then Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line
Tools for self advocacy
Our office is here to help, but many requests can be done independently. Listed below are hyperlinked tools for self advocacy by agency.
United States Postal Services (USPS)
You can search for and track your package, find missing mail, file a claim or request a refund through the USPS website.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
You can check the estimated processing time for cases in your category, receive more specific case updates and change your address on the USCIS website. You can create an online USCIS account to monitor your case and submit an expedited review request directly with USCIS.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
You can find the location of a detainee by searching for their A-Number, country of birth and biographical information through the ICE Online Detainee Locator System. You can also find the status of an immigration court case or find contact information on the Board of Immigration Appeals all on ICE’s website.
Department of State - Passports
The Department of State’s website contains information on how to apply for, renew or replace a passport and how to get your passport application rushed.
Department of State - Other
For Americans planning on international travel, you are encouraged to find the contact information for the corresponding U.S. embassy/consulate overseas. It is suggested that you review any and all travel advisories from the Department of State for safety risks worth considering. Signing up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program facilitates communication between you and the Department of State so that if an emergency evacuation were to occur, the agency would be apprised of your travel plans and have a way to contact you. Other information on crisis preparedness and Department of State limitations in an emergency are available online.
If you are looking to get a visa to travel to the United States, the Visa Wizard tool can help you identify which of the most common visas may apply to your situation. The visa bulletin is updated monthly and informs applicants of how many visas are available at this time by application type and category. The most common visa petition is the I-130, or Petition for Alien Relative. You can find the immigrant visa process pathway for this petition and others online. You can find more direct information by reviewing the website of the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate and you can find the status of your visa petition through the Consular Electronic Application Center portal.
Social Security Administration (SSA)
You can make or change an appointment with SSA, file for benefits or locate your local field office all online.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
You can get your employer EIN number, check the status of your refund, make a payment or use the Interactive Tax Assistant tool all on the IRS website.
Small Business Administration (SBA)
You can find the local Veterans Business Development Officer, find export and trade assistance or make a payment to the SBA all on their website.
Department of Education
You can search the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) online or find more resources on the Department of Education and Federal Student Aid websites.
Veterans Administration
You can find information about your benefits, disability ratings, dependents and more through your VA.gov account. VA.gov can also be downloaded as a mobile app for ease of access. For more direct assistance, you can search for your local accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO).
Active Military Branches
The Department of Defense Issuances, to include Directives, Instructions, Publications, Manuals and Forms, are guiding documents for DoD leaders and Service Members. Service members should be familiar with DoD and their service branch regulations (Air Force e-publishing, Army Publishing Directorate, Navy Issuances,Marine Corps Publications) to understand the government responsibilities with regard to each individual case. Additional information on your Army, Navy and Air Force benefits can be found online.
Other Agencies
The USA.gov website has all kinds of recourses from federal benefits and taxes to immigration. State-level resources can be found on Minnesota's government website and some federal programs such as SNAP and Section 8 housing are administered through your local county. Not sure where to go? Call our office for help!
CONSTITUENT SUCCESS STORIES
118th Congress: $2,471,378 total casework dollars saved/brought to the district.
Total: $5,049,255 total casework dollars saved/brought to the district.
Bob and Carmen M. - Cottage Grove
"Angie Craig's staff managed to do in 10 days what no one could do in a year. The way I was treated is the way everyone should be treated."
Bob and Carmen tried to work with Social Security for over a year to correct an error in their account that created a debt to Social Security of nearly $20,000. My team was able to work with their local Social Security Office to get their hard-earned money refunded.
Judy L. - Hastings and Donald S. - Mazeppa
Donald is a 98-year-old World War II veteran who was in need of a hearing aid. His daughter, Judy, had been working to get him an appointment with VA community care, calling over and over again with no results. Judy got in touch with my team who was able to get an appointment scheduled for Donald right away. At the appointment, Donald was told it would take up to six months to get the hearing aid he needed. My team reached out to the VA and Donald had his hearing aid less than one month after the appointment.
Robert S. – Lakeville
"They helped me get a stimulus check which the IRS said I was not entitled to because my wife passed away in January.
Robert's wife, Ella Mae, passed away in January of 2020 after they had filed their taxes jointly in 2019. Due to this joint filing, the IRS was wrongly denying Robert a stimulus check. My office worked diligently with the IRS and successfully got Robert the $1,200 payment he was entitled to.
Jennifer B. - Shakopee
"The attention that my case with the Department of Education was given from the beginning was professional and thorough. I received prompt responses to all of my inquiries. As a life-long resident of MN, I never dreamed I would need the assistance of my elected officials, but this experience confirmed that we are represented by the very best!"
Jennifer contacted our office after serving diligently as a public-school teacher for many years and qualifying for public service loan forgiveness. She was being stonewalled by the Department of Education and my office was able to get her the loan forgiveness she worked so hard to qualify for.
Glenda G. - Savage
"After having tried everything to get the IRS to finish my 2019 taxes I finally called Angie Craig's office for help. I already had missed my 600.00 stimulus check and I feared would lose my 1,400.00 check if I couldn't get my taxes finished. As a childcare provider any help while partially shut down would help and I saw everything going down the drain. Thank God I made that call! Taxes done and 1400.00!"
Glenda reached out to my office in early 2021 after waiting over a year for her 2019 taxes to process. With her childcare business hanging in the balance, Glenda desperately needed the funds. We worked with the Local Taxpayer Advocate and Glenda's return was finally processed.
Li C. - Rosemount
"I couldn't get a tax refund for 2019 though I filed my tax return 03/04/2020. […] I called you office and left a voicemail sometime in January 2021. […] From then on [your office] kept contacting me via emails and got a taxpayer advocate to help me too. I got a refund 3/11/21."
Li was owed a refund for nearly a year. She contacted our office and we worked with the IRS and Local Taxpayer Advocate to release her refund in a matter of weeks.
Abdulnasir A. - Burnsville
"Without the help and influence of this office, I believe our case would've still been on a desk somewhere collecting dust. As disabled combat veteran, We would like to say thank you to all."
Abdul is a 100% service-connected disabled combat veteran. The visa for his fiancé was held up because of bureaucratic red tape. He had upcoming surgery and desperately needed her here for support. My office worked with the Embassy to cut the red tape and get reunited with his family.