A few years ago, Social Security established an attorney call center, 877-626-6363, that attorneys could call about problems getting their clients who are under 55 paid. An agency website
still lists the number but it's not working. Either you get a fast busy
signal or it just rings and rings. It's not like it's hard to get
through. It's essentially impossible. Try calling it yourself.
My advice to Social Security is to just take the number off your website and admit that you don't have the personnel to answer your phones. They won't take that advice, though, because it's not politically correct to admit this in a Republican Administration. Exhortations to staff to work harder and smarter are the Republican answer to all staff shortages while taking every action possible to antagonize the staff needed to actually do the work.
11 comments:
Almost as bad - the fax number for the Atlanta Regional Office listed on SSA's own website is wrong.
It is truly hilarious that you attach basic incompetence on a government phone line to a political party.
1108 if you think the political sway of the current administration or any administration does not affect the way SSA or any other agency does business you are delusional. They don't do it with a sledgehammer, mind you (although this administration comes close) it is normally done with a very deft scalpel.
I can eventually get thru after nonstop dialing for about 10 minutes like I am trying to win a prize on the radio. Then you sit in que for another 30 mins before someone might answer, that is if you call doesn't get dropped first. And then once you do get a human on the line, they can only assist with one matter and instruct you to call back if you have to deal with another case.
Who would think that politics plays a part of agency operations?
"In a recorded conversation in the Oval Office on May 13, 1971, Richard M. Nixon laid out for his aides the job qualifications for the next commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. “I want to be sure he is a ruthless son of a bitch, that he will do what he’s told, that every income tax return I want to see I see, that he will go after our enemies and not go after our friends,” the president told H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman, according to a transcript published years later in The Washington Post. “Now it’s as simple as that. If he isn’t, he doesn’t get the job.” https://www.cato.org/blog/richard-nixon-irs
The SSA hiring freeze started in the previous administration. Don’t blame the current administration for staffing shortages.
This number is sometimes good for the fee but not the claimant's money. The last time I had big trouble getting either of us paid, I had to go to my senator's staff. That did work.
When I call the 877 number, sometimes I get a nonsensical answer, but if I call back in a day or two, I can sometimes get someone helpful. I do not use this number customarily.
Lmao yep I'm delusional. Just had two parents who worked in DC for a combined 75 years and now spend my time suing this and the 2 previous administrations for a living. Absolutely clueless about the history of this bloated corrupted enterprise. Keep blaming your least favorite team if it helps you sleep at night.
628 if you are 1108 notice that I said any admin not just this one. I lived in DC for many years and am familiar with many levels of the federal government. Frankly your comments just don't ring true to me but you are entitled to your opinion.
The person who put up that web page (and was probably maintaining it) likely has moved on or has even retired from the agency.
SSA has major problems dealing with stuff like that, both internally and on public websites.
3:32 the hiring freeze ended during the prior administration. President trump issued a short term govt wide hiring freeze when he took office. Saul has institute a quite misguided internal hiring freeze since August. Basically any position outside the FO can’t be filled right now without approval from Saul. I’m in a regional component and attrition has shortened all the centers staff and the only exception we have seen granted was for a GS-15 position, not for hands on staff spots. There is a reason the phones stay busy when the fo or any other component needs support. Our agency had close to 11% fewer staff than we did 8 years ago and thousands of people are turning 62 each day in the US.
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