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Dec 5, 2020

What Happens When The Pandemic Finally Wanes?


      This is the line outside a Social Security field office a year ago. Can you imagine the lines once Social Security field offices reopen to the public sometime next year? 

4 comments:

  1. By appointment only for a while. Office in my town used to see 300 walk ins a day with 80 or more in the lobby at any one time. Even with vaccine, it seems unlikely for a while.
    One thing the pandemic has proven is that most issues can be done by phone or internet. Sure some people like face to face interviews but some govt agencies (IRS for one) do almost all business without in person contact.

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  2. The lines are so long in part because people insist on showing up hours before the office opens, when they could walk in at 3pm to no one in the office. It's a throughput problem.

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  3. Problem is online is not practical or accessible for many who are poor or have mental disabilities. For others it is great.

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  4. One problem is a large number of those people are in line for a benefit verification letter that they received two months prior, and three months prior but are incapable of holding onto it, hence visiting the office every other month. Do away with in-office verification letters and require them to be requested by phone or internet will cut down on much of the traffic.

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