If you cannot conduct your Social Security business online, please check our online field office locator for specific information about how to directly contact your local office. Your local office still will be able to provide critical services to help you apply for benefits, answer your questions, and provide other services over the phone. During the current coronavirus pandemic, we continue to provide help to you and other people in your communities. While our offices are not providing service to walk-in visitors due to COVID-19, we remain ready and able to help you by phone with most Social Security business. You can speak with a representative by calling your local Social Security office or our National 800 Number. You can find local office phone numbers online by using our Social Security Office Locator at /locator.
We are providing data about our performance in serving the public through answering phone calls to our local field offices using the SSA's national Field Office Network Enterprise telephone system. Phone service is a popular way for many people to ask questions and conduct business with us. We use several measures to monitor our performance and the public can use the information about our performance to understand the service they are likely to receive. We are constantly expanding our online service offerings to give you freedom and control in how you wish to conduct business with Social Security. Today, you can apply for benefits, check the status of your claim or appeal, request a replacement Social Security card , get an instant benefit verification letter, and much more. Due to COVID-19, many local field offices are closed to the public.
In most cases, you can call the office to schedule an appointment if you need to complete a transaction that can only be done in person. Otherwise, you will need to take care of your situation over the phone with the central office or online through the Social Security website. Long before the pandemic, Social Security was trimming the number of field offices, and closed 67 around the country beginning in 2010. That move concerned consumer advocates, especially from an equity and access standpoint. The Social Security Administration is a federal agency that administers several social insurance programs, including disability, retirement and survivors benefits. As an agency that serves millions of people, it is not surprising that it receives a lot of customer service calls every day.
Yet even as Covid-19 cases decline and businesses and other public places reopen around the country, the timeline for a full reopening of the office network is uncertain. The agency is slowly bringing back workers in accordance with safety guidelines established by the federal government. This dataset provides information at the national level by month for federal fiscal years 2013 and onward for answer rate and busy rate for calls to our field offices. Maintaining adequate staffing and the ability to replace losses is the largest factor affecting the services we provide to the public.
If you get Social Security benefits or have Medicare, you can change your address online. To make the change online, you must first create a personal my Social Security account. You may also call or visit a local office to make the change. Over the past decade, The Social Security Administration closed many of its field offices, which resulted in an increased number of calls to Social Security customer support. This, in turn, led to long wait times to speak to customer service representatives.
You can apply online for disability benefits at You will be able to answer all the questions yourself and can save the application in the middle of the process to come back to it later before submitting it. Spanish speaking representatives are available to speak with callers who prefer to do business with us in Spanish. In addition, if you contact the local SSA field office or call the number, you may request an interpreter to communicate with us, which we will provide at no cost.
We have telephone interpreter services in more than 120 languages and dialects. Interpreters are available immediately, with no appointment necessary. The Social Security Administration, or SSA, can help you with all of your Social Security-related questions, whether you're inquiring about retirement, disability, Medicare, or need to change your address.
The fastest way to reach them is to call their main phone number, but you can also send them an email or a letter in the mail. For more direct contact, visit a Social Security Office in your area. The agency administers and provides retirement benefits, disability benefits, survivors benefits, Medicare coverage, and Supplemental Security Income for US citizens.
It operates a regional teleservice center and 34 local offices. The agency also provides services for individuals or agencies which are affected by Coronavirus. There are a couple of ways you can perform a Social Security card name change. The easiest is by making the request online through your My Social Security account. Depending on the state you live in, you might be unable to complete the request online.
If you cannot, then you will need to mail in the application for name change with the required documentation or visit your local Social Security office. If you have questions or issues about your retirement Social Security benefits, or you need to schedule an appointment, then call the Mobile Social Security Office listed below. The Alabama SSA handles several federal programs such as retirement, SSI, Medicare and disability benefits. Some highly sensitive issues, such as requesting a new Social Security number due to domestic violence or identity theft, cannot be handled over the phone. Similarly, while a customer service representative can advise you on replacing a Social Security card, you will have to make your request in person or through the mail.
No Social Security offices can accommodate walk-in visitors until further notice. In-person service is by appointment only and for limited, dire need situations. This decision protects the population we serve—older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions—and our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can speak with a representative by calling your local Social Security office or the National 800 Number. If your account is a joint account and receives direct deposit benefit payments, you must inform the federal agency and the financial institution of the death of the beneficiary. Payments sent by direct deposit after the date of death or ineligibility of a beneficiary must be returned to the federal agency. The federal agency will then determine if the survivor is eligible for benefits. Your Social Security number and the other information requested will allow the federal government to make payments to you by direct deposit.
This collection of information is authorized by Title 31 of the United States Code, Section 3332. Also, Executive Order 9397, November 22, 1943, authorizes the use of your Social Security number. Your Social Security number is requested to ensure the accurate identification and retention of records pertaining to you and to distinguish you from other recipients of federal payments. This information will be disclosed to the federal agencies involved in making federal payments to you by direct deposit. This information may also be disclosed to a court, congressional committee or another government agency as authorized or required by federal law and to your financial institution to verify receipt of your federal payments.
Although providing the requested information is voluntary, the Treasury will be unable to process your direct deposit enrollment application if you fail to provide the information. Payments to the 69 million-plus Social Security beneficiaries won't be affected by the field-office shutdown. In March, the average wait time was 13.6 minutes, down from an average of 23.6 minutes for all of 2018, the year when backups peaked. If you have questions or issues about your retirement Social Security benefits, or you need to schedule an appointment, then call the Moore Social Security Office listed below. The Oklahoma SSA handles several federal programs such as retirement, SSI, Medicare and disability benefits. To obtain the phone number of your local field office, use our Social Security Office Locator.
Just type in your postal ZIP code and we will provide you with the office address, phone number and business hours. We will also furnish you with directions to the office and with a map pinpointing the office's exact location. If you need assistance that is not available via our online services, the fastest way to obtain service is to contact us by telephone through the toll free number. If an additional interview is necessary, we can make an appointment for you with a local FO at a time convenient for you. You can get application forms and find out information from a customer service representative at your local office. Use the Social Security office locator to find out where your local office is by typing in your ZIP code.
There, you can apply for benefits, check the status of applications or appeals, request a replacement card and obtain other services. You will need to complete an application for benefits. This can be done online, in person, or over the phone. The application process is necessary whether you are applying for retirement or disability benefits. You will need your Social Security number and other required documentation to complete your application. To make things easier on you, many services today can be completed online without a trip to your local office.
Not only does this usually result in faster processing of your request, but it also makes things much simpler because you never even have to leave home. Today, you can do everything from viewing your Social Security statement to applying for benefits online. A more complete list of the online services available is shown below. Millions of Americans are dependent on Social Security, so it just makes sense that people would need to visit their local Social Security Administration office from time to time. These offices are often located in busy parts of town and can be difficult to navigate. Worst of all, you might get to your appointment at the office and realize that you do not have the proper documentation to complete your transaction.
Social Security customer service representatives can answer a wide range of questions regarding Social Security programs as well as some questions about your account, benefits and claim status. The representative can also guide you toward the forms that you will need to initiate processes that can't be completed over the phone. Social Security employees occasionally contact people by telephone for customer service purposes. In only a few special situations, such as when you have business pending with us, a Social Security employee may request the person confirm personal information over the phone. These individuals are non-attorney professionals experienced in Social Security disability. They can help applicants apply for disability benefits and can guide them through the initial, reconsideration, and appeals hearing stages of the application process.
However, non-attorney advocates cannot assist with the appeals council and federal district court stages. A qualified non-attorney can receive direct pay if they pass a special examination given once a year by a third party organization and are personally approved by the SSA themselves. You can call them, visit your local office, or change your address through the "My Social Security Account" online. You can listen to informational services on payment delivery dates, direct deposit, taxes, fraud, and supplemental security income.
We urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your Social Security number or bank account information to unknown individuals over the phone or internet. If you receive a call and aren't expecting one, you must be extra careful. You can always get the caller's information, hang up, and—if you do need more clarification—contact the official phone number of the business or agency that the caller claims to represent. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who called you.
If you are requesting a new card, you must apply by mail or in person at a Social Security office. If you need a replacement card and are a U.S. citizen age 18 or older with valid state-issued identification, you can also apply online using your "my Social Security account." If you're dealing with Social Security by phone, be cautious. The number of Social Security identity phone scams has been rising.
The agency generally only contacts people who have recently applied for benefits, or to update the records of those who are receiving benefits. The agency will never call to tell you that your Social Security number has been suspended or to demand payments or ask for credit card information. All eligible Social Security Number and Benefits applicantsmustapply by mail. The time from when we receive your application by mail to return delivery is generally four to five weeks. When Social Security offices are fully reopened, if you can't resolve your problem or find the information you need on the website or over the phone, you can go to one of the field offices . In some cases—if you need to request a Social Security card or update certain kinds of personal information—you may have to visit an office.
The SSA has warned that scammers are at work, sending fraudulent letters through the mail that threaten suspension of Social Security benefits. Recipients are directed to call a number that may mislead beneficiaries to provide personal information or payment via gift cards and other schemes. If you think you have been a victim of fraud you can submit a report online via the SSA. This dataset provides field office answer and busy rates, which account for most, but not all, of the calls to field offices. The calls not reflected in this dataset are abandon calls and overflow calls.
Additionally, you can change your address, set up or change direct deposit, print proof of benefits and print you 1099 tax form. If you need to replace your Social Security card, the process is quite simple. If you already have a My Social Security account, you can quickly request the replacement online. If not, then you will need to create your account or visit your local SSA office. If your Social Security card has been lost or stolen, you need to act immediately! You will need to request a replacement card, but you should also take the proper steps to prevent identity theft.
Thieves could use your information to apply for loans, obtain credit cards, or file fraudulent tax returns in your name. You should place a fraud alert on your Social Security number and keep a watch on your credit report. Also be aware of scams that attempt to steal your SSN. Social Security offices are open by appointment only for certain services.
If you believe you qualify for an in-person appointment, call your local office. Appointments may not be immediately available, depending on local health and safety conditions and staffing. She was an author of a 2019 study that found that field office closings reduced disability applications by 10 percent — and the number of new recipients by 16 percent in affected areas. The closings also disproportionately discouraged low-education and low-earning applicants from applying, the study found, because of longer wait times at offices that were still open. You can apply in-person at your local Social Security office.
It is recommended that you call ahead and make an appointment at your local office to avoid a long waiting time. To find your local office in your state, check out our Social Security Offices page. Remember that the SSA will almost never contact you out of the blue. It will only text you if you've opted to receive notifications that way, or to verify your identity when you access your online My Social Security account. If you do owe the agency money — for a benefit overpayment, for example — you'll get an official letter outlining your payment options and appeal rights. With a little vigilance, it's not difficult to spot when a Social Security contact is a sham.
Most offices will be open Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm and closed on the weekends, but it's important to read the hours for your local office just to make sure. To protect you and help stop the spread of this coronavirus, we cannot accept visitors in our offices at this time. Many services are available online at If you have a critical need that you cannot address online, we can help you over the phone.
Scammers can create an atmosphere of fear over the phone and quickly make you believe that you are facing prosecution. They then gather some basic information from you and quickly become your friend, saying that you only need to provide your social security number and bank account information to avoid arrest. It all happens so fast that the average consumer often doesn't know what hit them. The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities. If a second call doesn't provide you with the outcome you desire, get in touch with your nearest field office and make an appointment to meet in person with a Social Security Administration employee. For all other types of federal benefit payments, please contact the respective paying agency directly for information about changing your direct deposit.
Mr. Weaver also worries that people are missing out on other benefits they may be entitled to under the law — and that a field office visit might uncover. "The fact that 43 million people a year are showing up in a field office tells you they needed something," he said. In the 10-year period Dr. Deshpande studied, Social Security closed 118 field offices, a cost-cutting move. She estimated that during that period, a total of 786,000 applicants for disability insurance and S.S.I. were discouraged from applying. One issue that has prompted criticism is the agency's requirement that sensitive documents, such as drivers' licenses and birth and death certificates, which are used for verifications, be sent to S.S.A. via mail.
