Correcting the Record about Social Security Office Closings
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: March 27, 2025
Recent reports in the media that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is permanently closing local field offices are false. Since January 1, 2025, the agency has not permanently closed or announced the permanent closure of any local field office. From time to time, SSA must temporarily close a local field office for reasons such as weather, damage, or facilities issues, and it reopens when the issues are resolved. The agency has announced the permanent closure of one hearing office, in White Plains, NY.
SSA works closely with local congressional delegations before closing any office permanently. The agency also reassigns employees from an affected office to other locations to help communities access in-person services.
“SSA is committed to providing service where people need help and our local field offices are no exception,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “We have not permanently closed any local field offices this year.”
SSA identified for the General Services Administration underutilized office space to ensure the government is spending taxpayer money as prudently as possible. The agency provided GSA a list of sites for termination. Most of these are small hearing rooms with no assigned employees. Since most hearings are held virtually, SSA no longer needs these underutilized rooms.
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Phillip C.
thank you
Crystal G.
These “rooms” you are referring to are the rooms where PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES could go for an IN PERSON hearing so that they would not have to see an ALJ face-to-face in a building HOURS away from their home. Virtual hearings are NO SUBSTITUTE for in-person hearings in MANY cases. There are MANY MANY consumers (claimants) who have difficult challenges with attending a virtual visit. They do not have internet, or access to internet in a private location. They do not have a reliable cell phone, or bad cell signal. They are HOMELESS because there is ZERO INCOME available to people while applying for SSDI/SSI and they are not allowed to work AT ALL while going through the process. The SSA will say that isn’t true, that you can work while applying for SSDI/SSI, as long as you keep your earnings below the “limit”, but this is essentially false. The ability to work AT ALL, even just 3 hours per week, at minimum wage, to an adjudicator, ALJ, or Vocational “expert” (as they are called) will almost always result in an unapproved claim – even if that person is quite literally DYING because they continue to work when they should not. Saying that these hearing rooms are not “essential” and are a “waste” is absolutely ridiculous. Instead of paying one judge mileage to travel to a hearing office a couple of hours away, you will now have to reimburse HOW MANY claimants that same mileage rate to get a ride to a hearing office hours away? Get a ride when there is ZERO transportation available to them. Get a ride, and pay for it, when they have ZERO income. Or they can just do their hearing by phone, right? WRONG. They can’t afford a phone, and the lifeline program is VERY limited, gives out phones that BARELY work – IF they give them out at all, and they NEVER get good signal in rural areas. This is a severe detriment to people in rural areas with no transportation. You are sentencing people to death by closing these hearing rooms.
Sue F.
About the closing of Social Security Offices. I do not believe this can be stopped. I cannot trust what officials are told to say. Musk is doing a slash & burn through as many governmental agencies as possible. Being told that employees of closed offices will be transferred to other needy offices doesn’t reassure me. What about those employees hardships of relocating, to another possible state? Thirdly suggesting that “renting out infrequently used conference rooms” is really going to offset or satisfy DOGE’s “scorched earth policy” is ridiculous. We are angry & frightened about our uncertain futures. DO SOMETHING! Your democrat neighbors are here to help, contact us!
Jon U.
It’s kind of odd how you state so boldly in the first line that you’re not closing any local field offices but then spend the next four paragraphs justifying all the offices you’re closing.
Look, we get that there’s some underutilized space in the federal government. But don’t pee on our legs and tell us it’s raining – you’ve sent a list of offices to GSA to close, and that means you’re closing a bunch of offices. Why put out this statement just to lie?
Doug K.
When does the West Nyack, NY office reopen? Why not link dates for reopenings?
David W.
Thank you for the clarity and transparency! Things are definitely getting better.
We t.
Clearly you are not from this planet. Only an alien would believe such hogwash and not bother to seek actual truth and facts. There is absolutely no excuse for why you wouldn’t do that unless you are too lazy and are ok with living in lies.
Martin b.
First let me say thank God for social security. My next comment is more of a question, I’m an ex-pat currently spending time in the Philippines with family and I have read that it’s possible I may have to report in person to a field office, is this true? There will be millions of us unsure what to do. If anyone has information please email me. Thanks in advance.
Jon L.
How many field office do you plan to close in the next year and how many employees do you plan to fire? Republicans have been wanting to dismantle SS for years, so these blogs, while useful, come across as a cover for Trump’s true intent.
ME!!!
The Waycross, GA Field Office should be shut down!
They are fraudulent, deny access to your own records in pending cases, alter information, and they violate many laws, policies, acts and regulations! They emailed me 14 people’s SS#s and info.
SHUT THEM DOWN!!!
C.B.
We are sorry to hear this, ME. You can submit feedback by visiting our How can we help? webpage. From there, select the “Email Us” link. This will take you to the “Email Our Support Team” form where you can submit a complaint, compliment, or suggestion. Thanks for reading our blog.
Fernando C.
Check ss cards issued by the office in Panama when the Canal was still part of the USA
Jon U.
…you mean when the canal was officially handed over to Panama in 1999? 26 years ago? What good would that do?