Congressman Wants To Prevent Field Office Hour Reductions

This seems to be a particularly hot issue in New York. From the Buffalo News:

A congressman is trying to prevent the Social Security Administration from closing its local offices to the public for three hours every Wednesday so workers can concentrate on processing disability claims.

Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-Clarence, complained about the plan in a letter to Social Security Administration Commissioner Michael Astrue.

Social Security officials plan to begin a pilot project on March 1, closing field offices in Buffalo, Amherst, West Seneca and Niagara Falls for three hours each Wednesday. Officials have said the intent of the plan is to allow employees to catch up on a backlog of disability cases.

It turns out that Congressman Reynolds' efforts succeeded. From the same newspaper a few days later:

The Social Security Administration is rescinding a proposed pilot project that would have cut the hours of the agency’s Buffalo-area offices by three hours each week, Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds announced Wednesday.

Reynolds cheered the decision by Michael Astrue, the agency’s commissioner, to withdraw a pilot project that would have closed Social Security Administration offices to the public for three hours every Wednesday afternoon. The plan had been delayed once already and was to be implemented March 1.

Other Congressman please take note.