From the Troy, Alabama Messenger:
Residents headed to the Pike County courthouse to visit the remote office of the U.S. Social Security Administration in Troy this week found a sign taped to the door that read, “The Social Security office will be closed until further notice due to budget cuts.”
According to Probate Judge Wes Allen, the closing of the office doors came without much warning.
“All we know is what they put on the front door,” Allen said. “We got a phone call and they said, ‘we would not be open, because of budget cuts and constraints, and will be closed until further notice."
Mt. Pleasant ODAR has stopped scheduling hearings for Alepna, MI because of budget issues. Claimants must now drive 3+ hours to Mt. Pleasant for their hearing.
ReplyDeleteIt's lousy that they included the national 1-800 number as the contact number. If a claimant calls that number, the service representative won't have a clue as to the circumstances. Have some sympathy and put the local office number so claimants and members of the public will actually have someone to talk to who knows the situation and can help them locally.
ReplyDeleteThat is a shame. SSA needs to be opening more offices to serve the public, not closing them.
ReplyDeleteWe're falling behind our work in PC7 due to lack of overtime. I heard a rumor that SSA operations will have some OT next pay period (starting next week). Hope that is correct.
"It's lousy that they included the national 1-800 number as the contact number. If a claimant calls that number, the service representative won't have a clue as to the circumstances."
ReplyDeleteSSA sure has money for a special number for attorneys to get information.
As Jimmy Fallon says in his thank you notes: Thank you Congress and the Tea Party for hurting the most vulnerale members of society.
ReplyDeleteCutting SSA's budget affects real people's lives and they aren't millionaires and heads of corporations. For shame.
Hey, if you don't like it, stop voting for Tea Party Republicans. This is the consequence of people's electoral decisions. Just that simple.
ReplyDeleteIt was Obama and the Democrats' failure to pass a budget for 2011 before the election that caused this mess. They had a stacked deck and dealt themselves aces and eights.
ReplyDeleteNo my friend. It was the blue dog democrats who held things up because they wanted their buddies in the tea party to be able to vote on a new budget.
ReplyDeletePeople who vote for Tea Party Republicans either don't understand the bad consequences of doing so, or don't care.
ReplyDelete