A message from Social Security:
We want to give you an update on our preparations for returning our employees to local Social Security offices, a process called reentry.
You may have seen a proposed reentry date of January 3, 2022 in the draft reentry plan that we provided to our unions, or in the media. While some executives reentered on December 1, we have not set a reentry date for the rest of the agency.
The best way to reach us is online at SSA.gov, or by calling our National 800 Number or a local Social Security office. At this time, please remember that we can only provide in-person service by appointment only for limited, critical issues. And we continue to hold voluntary hearings by online video and phone. We are taking steps to increase in-person help for people unable to complete their business online or by phone.
We will keep you updated on our reentry process.
Charles SSA is open for business. The agency is open for business!!
ReplyDeleteSSA offers appointments over the phone. SSA has a national hotline and a field office hotline manned every day 9-4.
SSA has online services and in office appointments for dire need services.
I commend the commissioner and her leadership for reassessing expanding in office services during the omicron crisis. Next year after spring starts SSA should further explore reopening the offices to offer more in person services, as long as its safe for the public #1 and employees. The commissioners leadership has been stellar in the last 6 months an the President should appoint her permanently. SSA is invested in providing safe and good service to the public the agency serves.
No real surprise here. Omicron is about to set us back months worth of progress. It’s going to be a scary winter.
ReplyDeleteNor should the agency be in any rush. It would be sheer idiocy to open in the midst of the Omicron wave. You are practically asking for entire offices to be forced to quarantine given how contagious this strain is. Perhaps after this wave is over, assuming omicron stays the dominant variant or the next variant is even milder, it will be time to reopen.
ReplyDeleteMake no mistake, we will all have to learn with COVID, but hopefully COVID is well on its way to morphing into being no more deadly than influenza.
ReplyDeleteThe right move my the acting commissioner to reassure employees, we won’t be ordered back to offices during this time of crisis.
This is why the Washington Post should not have run that recent article criticizing SSA and its employees for not having the FO open.
Wait until Covid subsides then reassess.
In keeping with the spirit of the season, I will just say Happy Holidays everyone.
ReplyDeleteI still do not understand why it's safe for supermarkets, DMV, traffic courts, clothing stores, to be open, but not for the LDO.
ReplyDeleteApples and oranges my friend.
DeleteYou can take care of all SSA business by phone or internet. SSA is also providing in-person service when there is a critical need.
You cannot take a driver's test virtually, thus the need for the DMV to be open.
Stores are open because this is a capitalist society and the owners only care about the bottom line. It isn't safe for them to be open, but there you are.
Do you really not understand? Its pretty simple. Those that you mentioned are mostly for-profit ventures. Staying closed means they don't make money, doesn't matter if its "safe" or not. The local field office does not make/lose money whether they're open for full in-person services or not. Please exercise common sense before you post. Merry Christmas.
DeleteI would love to conduct business with SSA online. To get thoughtful, reasoned responses and explanations via email or chat or over the phone would be heaven. To correspond with someone that knew what they were doing who could fix workers’ comp offsets or explain overpayment notices or even just acknowledge appeals that have been filed would be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteBut it doesn’t happen. No one answers the phone. Calls are not returned. Questions in writing go unanswered. Notices are sent with conflicting stock paragraphs to the point there are incomprehensible. On the rare occasions we can speak with someone, we are treated like the enemy or a nuisance, not like the customers we are. Reopening will not solve these problems. These were issues long before Covid. The acting Commish is doing all she can but the bottom line is that there are too many of us and not enough of them. There is too much work to do and not enough SSAers to do it. Home or in office there are only so many hours in the day. I get it. But telling the public that service is available online or on the phone is nothing more than Kevin Bacon proclaiming “ALL IS WELL” while the Food King gets looted.
Dont you really get it? It is the entitlement of the federal worker and the union. DOL say less than 11% of all workers are WFH but guess who makes up a big percentage? You got it fed workers.
ReplyDeleteI understand the reasoning in light of Omicron and the uncertainty it brings. But I did have to laugh when I read this "The best way to reach us is online at SSA.gov, or by calling our National 800 Number or a local Social Security office." Yes, its the best method but that doesn't mean its a method that actually works. I have spent the better part of about 6 hours this week on the phone attempting to get through to various field offices of claims. Sitting on hold for 15 mins at a time until my call is dropped. Even calls to the administrative lines I have for the offices are going unanswered.
ReplyDeleteYou can NOT take care of ALL business by phone or internet with SSA. For example, if my client's SSD claim has been granted, and she has children, to start auxilliary benefits she has to show an original birth certificate. The field office (at least around here) will not accept faxed copies, but demands to inspect the original. There are other instances where copies aren't accepted, and field offices insist on originals. Before March 2020, my clients could just show up at 9, wait in line, and show the documents. Now everything like that requires an appointment, and getting through to anybody on the phone to schedule such an appointment involves persisting through dropped calls and waiting on hold.
ReplyDeleteFor documents there are drop off boxes at offices and the good old USPS.
DeletePlus there is an EM from March 2020 saying some proofs can be deferred due to covid. Kids birth certificates would be included.
But I agree offices should be open.
Okay. Let's do some apples to apples. The state government office in my state have been open for a very long time now. The hysterical disaster scenarios you SSA employees seem to fear have not occurred. I don't know if you guys really believe these things will occur or you are just hyping the hysteria because you don't want to go back to the office. Either way, based on what we see around us with both private sector businesses and state government, your fear is irrational.
ReplyDeleteIt's not apples to oranges, blind people cannot file applications on line, a lot of my clients have at best spotty internet services Some SSA employee do not live in areas with good internet service and thus they take a long time to answer basic questions. We all go out, even SSA employees. Stadiums are full, shopping malls are packed and let's be honest, if you are vaccinated the risk is low. Let's reopen.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete7:53 you said only 11 percent work from home. That is incorrect. I just did a search on that and 45% work from home according to Gallup.
I knew it was far more than 11% because I know several people who work for insurance companies (work similar to SSA) and they are all 100% WFH due to the pandemic. Also I read Comcast, Apple, Google and other companies are extending WFH.
Also I want to say I most certainly do NOT go to ball games, restaurants, or social events the way I used to. I don't want to catch COVID (which is now raging worse than ever, ) and I avoid unnecessary risk.
I do not think I should be forced back to an SSA office when I can do my job well from home. I'm blessed to have a job I can do from home. I am sorry that some jobs require that the person comes in, but that is no reason to force SSA workers back, because others are jealous.
We need to keep the public health in mind. Elderly and disabled people would be at high risk coming into crowded SSA offices now. This is not just out of self interest that I want the offices to remain closed for now.