BASIC (01-08)

The CEF is an electronic disability repository that stores the claimant’s disability file information (see Commonly Used Acronyms and Terms in the Electronic Disability Guide (eDG) - DI 81001.010 for a complete description). A CEF is established when a disability report is entered into the Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS). Case information, documentation, and evidence can be stored in the CEF via:

• Keying data into entry fields;

• Electronic Forms (eForms); or

• Scanning, faxing, or Electronic Records Express.

If all claims associated with the case are established in EDCS a CEF is created. If one or more claims are established in EDCS and one or more is an EDCS exclusion an electronic folder (EF), not a CEF, is created. Although there is an electronic folder, the official folder must be paper.

A. Types of Cases in Electronic Case Processing

1. CEF

The CEF is the official folder and no paper Modular Disability Folder (MDF) exists. In CEF cases, all:

• Claims associated with the case were entered in Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS);

• Case documentation is stored in the CEF; and

• Final disability decisions are posted in the CEF including decisional documents and notices issued by DDSs and ODAR.

For a folder to be a CEF, the initial claim, as well as all subsequent claims associated with that initial claim, must have been entered into EDCS.  

2. EF

If one or more claims are established in EDCS and one or more is an EDCS exclusion, a CEF cannot be established. A paper file must be created. Although the official folder is paper, the claim or appeal is not totally removed from electronic processing. The Field Office (FO) may use EDCS to collect information (3368, 3367, etc.) and other components (DDS, ODAR, etc.) may use the electronic file to collect and store documents that will be converted to paper when the case is closed.

3. Paper Cases

The Modular Disability Folder (MDF) is the official folder for paper cases. Paper cases are created when a case:

• Is a CEF Exclusion (see Certified Electronic Folder (CEF) Exclusions - DI 81010.030); or

• A processing limitation occurs that removes a CEF from the electronic process leaving an Electronic Folder.

Cases may originate as a CEF case at prior levels, but may require conversion to paper cases for various reasons

B. Accessing the CEF

Access the CEF through:

• eView (see eView Overview - DI 81005.005); and

• Case processing systems (e.g., EDCS, Disability Determination Services (DDS) legacy systems, Disability Case and Review System (DICARS), Case Processing and Management System (CPMS)).

A user’s access is determined by the position type associated with the Personal Identification Number (PIN) of the employee logged onto the workstation. For more information about user’s access to the CEF, see Authorized Access to the Certified Electronic Folder (CEF) - DI 81001.025.

C. Organization of Documents in the CEF

Documents in the CEF are organized in the same format as the paper Modular Disability Folder (MDF). The Documents view is located in eView under the Case Documents Tab. For more information on the Case Documents Tab, see Case Documents Tab - DI 81005.050. Current instructions for filing documents in the paper MDF apply to the CEF per General Overview of the MDF - DI 70005.005.

The CEF sections include:

• Section A - Payment Documents/Decisions (Yellow Front)

• Section B - Jurisdictional Documents and Notices (Red)

• Section C - Current Development/Temporary (Green)

• Section D - Non-Disability Related Development (Orange)

• Section E - Disability Related Developments (Blue)

• Section F - Medical Records (Yellow Back)

• Queries (This section stores scanned queries.)

• Multimedia files (This section stores audio files.)

NOTE: The Queries and Multimedia Files sections are not included in the paper MDF.

Each CEF section:

• Expands to show a list of documents stored there; and

• Displays details of each document.