Customer Service Is What We Do
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: August 19, 2021
Social Security has been in the customer service business for more than 81 years, and with Customer Service Week, October 3-7, at hand, it is an exciting time to share the importance of this long-standing tradition.
“My experience with SSA has always been positive.”–Edward M.
This week focuses on commitment to excellence in service. Many of you rely on us for our programs and services. While much of the assistance we give is during the most critical times in your life, it is our belief that with every interaction with us you deserve professional, courteous, and compassionate service.
Times have progressed from 81 years ago, when most customer-to-employee interactions were in person. Today, part of your changing needs is the convenience of quick and secure online service options to conduct your Social Security business. Whether you are home or on the go, you can visit www.socialsecurity.gov to use our many online services. And we are committed to customer choice, so you can always come see us in the office or call us on our 800 number.
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Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
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Premlata V.
Bad experience always with SSA. I was enrolled in Medicare for 12/2015, and my premium should have remained $104.90 and I did not get increase in my SS benefit. SS have been overcharging me premium of $121.80 instead. I filed an appeal form with local SS office on 8/18, but till today they have not replied for explanation of deducting 2 mos premium from SS benefit of July, which was paid in August.
Mary
No one received an increase in benefits in 2016. It remained the same as 2015.
Tony S.
The COLA must be 3% for the health annuity to be 2.5%. There are not really any other right answers. Thank you for the information leading to the conviction of the Secretary of Treasurer for a second health related Theft and Bribery of Government Programs 18USC666, involving the actual deprivation of relief benefits 18USC246 in violation of Sec. 204(c) of the Social Security Act 42USC404(c) and King et al v. Burwell (2014) – robbing Peter Goss, SSA Actuary to pay Paul Spitalnic Medicare Actuary.
I am sorry that the best counsel I have for you is that it is possible for SSA to terminate Medicare Part B premium payments. The $121.80 Medicare premium should have been held harmless under Sec. 1840 of the Social Security Act 42USC§1395s and the Medicare Part B premium should be $104.90 until we get our 3% COLA. We are not longer letting 2.7% inflation get ahead of our 3% COLA.
HHS budgets FY 2015-17 and Health United States 2015 account books are broken and they must not be allowed to cause faultless social security beneficiaries real damages, like ACA refundable premiums and cost-sharing reductions have destroyed the Treasury and federal budget under King et al v. Burwell (2014). The United States must reimburse Medicare premium payers for overpayments they made over the $104.90 rate until a 2.5% health annuity is pegged against a 3% COLA. The Actuary’s 2016 Annual Reports of the OASDI and Medicare Trust Funds are insubordinate to the Summer Solstice Instructions of the Social Security Amendments of January 1, 2016 http://www.title24uscode.org/ss1.htm
Tony S.
Correction, the SSA Actuary’s name is Stephen C. Goss, not Peter. The Medicare Actuary’s name is Paul Spitalnic. I have been exhibiting a lot of amnesia regarding the names of politicians lately. I confused Paul Ryan with Ron Paul retired. Peter Orszag, 2009 OMB Director, must be the Peter, but he married and retired to run ultra-marathons without having to carry his computer in his backpack. There is no need for any robbing from Peter to pay Paul jokes. Paul Spitalnic Medicare Actuary robbed a social security beneficiary.
Tony S.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Andrew M. Slavitt is the co-defendant of Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew. This is the third time I have suffered amnesia regarding Mr. Slavitt’s bibliographic reference that had to be corrected after publication. His center justified position in the June 22, 2016 report was nice but insufficient. He needs to write a Harmless Deal regarding the 3% Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 2.5% health annuity rule. The 2017 Closing 6% Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) would earn Part B premiums a 5% health annuity bringing SMI Premiums from $104.90 to $110.15. The only legal alternative is 3% COLA and 2.5% health annuity to $107.50. 3% COLA and federal minimum wage and welfare benefit growth 2.5% health annuity, professional fee, managerial salaries and agency spending growth to promote income and price equality with a fairly constant 2.7% rate of inflation is the rule, broken only by the 3.4% average rate of interest on t-bonds.
Melinda
Customer service-no way is it good! Staff do not want to give either a first or last name. If you can’t prove you gave it to them, they say you didn’t-that’s why I always have a receipt or have someone sign for what sent-but still have to duplicate what originally sent. Response on overpayment waivers is way too late and half the time already started recoupment even when sent the waiver request timely! Making payee changes takes 2-3 months-frequently have to resend even though I have proof it was delivered the first time. Most staff only know either SSI or RSDI not both which is time consuming if you have questions regarding both. Different answers from different staff. Staff never heard of saying “sorry” for their agency error(s). On a scale on 1-10 with 10 being excellent would give SSA at best around a 3. Yes, I know y’all are busy but be professional and at least acknowledge that someone might have misplaced it not assume it didn’t arrive and saying “sorry” never hurt anyone.
Jon
This is the government red tape just making it difficult for everyone
Nancy H.
We don’t have a good working relationship with Social Security as we work with Dept of Social Services Medicaid. They refer almost everything to us, where a lot of it is unfounded. The local office aren’t accessible to us as a State office, nor our clients, which complain to us a lot. Very frustrating. They need to be instructed in customer service !!!
Jon
This is sad and they say they have great customer service no way not from what I’m reading on this site
Dale
I wish there was a way to check the status of a claim? After a year there is no approximate date of a hearing. It would be nice to have even an automated response from a name given and then a approximate date?
Jean A.
Just cry Fibromyalgia, or Anxiety disorder, Bi Polar, or any other ignorant term you want to use, there is a list a mile long of all the ignorant excuses people are using in order to get even ssi benefits, because they younger adults and lazy, overweight, bullies that do not want to work. it’s pretty easy when these people find doctor offices that get tired of them coming so they sign or write a letter and then they start receiving checks. 733.00 for never really doing anything. What working one year qualifies these people for benefits. Whatever, it is rather embarrassing I would think for social Security Administration.
Amy H.
So I guess you are saying younger people are not disabled and don’t have disabilities and the ones who claim they do are just fat, lazy, and useless. How do you know that? What makes you so bitter you feel the need to judge people you don’t know and don’t know what they have gone through. Your comment seemed prejudice and makes it seem like you are a very bitter unhappy person for some reason. Why the criticism? What is reason you think that?
Ray F.
Thanks for your comment Dale. The length of time it takes to get a hearing can vary from state to state. We attempt to resolve all claims promptly, but there may be delays due to the volume of pending appeals in your area. The good news is that we are trying to conduct many of our hearings through video teleconferencing (VTC) to speed up the process. Visit our “Hearing And Appeals” web page for more information, and continue working with your attorney and local hearing office on specific questions about your case. Thanks!
joseph y.
How do I return SSA Hearing Office mail sent to my address but with the name of the person not in my household? A month ago, I had returned one mailing via USPS to the generic SSA return address, but it appears the local Field Office or the Hearing Office still has the erroneous address for the claimant. Just this weekend I received another mailing from SSA which appears to contain the claimant’s Medicare Card, along with a larger envelope probably containing the ALJ decision; so I am assuming the ALJ’s decision was favorable to her, but her mail keeps coming to my address. How’s the best way to handle this?
Mary
Without opening it, just mark the front of the envelope “Not known at this address.” And drop it back in the mail.
Ray F.
Hi Joseph. Generally, all you have to do is “return –correspondence- to sender”. You could also report this activity by calling our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Generally, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later in the day or later in the week. Thanks.
Rhonda K.
It is a wonderful program. One thing wrong is we need our increase in benefits COLA, of at least 8 % for 65 plus now. Can’t wait. Elderly are dieing now without food, housing, utilities, medications, gas to doctor and much more. Not fair and not right.
A great program
Mary
Fat chance!! It’s never more than 3% and usually does not cover the increased cost of Medicare!
Robert J.
I think this year it is .02%
Monty W.
I saw 2.3 on ssa website. Everything’s a secret until these see how they can lower it or not give it for a new reason each time.
A LITTLE COMMUNICATION EASES THE MIND.
So what is it now, since we’ve worked before SSI started.
SHAKESPEARE SAYS” Screw NOT FOR THEE WILL ALSO BE SCREWED.
Love ya but reality hurts.
tony
Our COLA raise is base on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the last year. Nobody on Social Security works, so why are we using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the last year. Even the Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers doesn’t use this formula for their COLA raise. The numbers are cooked so we don’t get a COLA raise 3 times by the Obama administration, so they can fund welfare and Affordable Care Act with the interest we made on the Social Security Trust Fund. We made interest on our trust fund, but we have to reinvest all the money including interest into Us treasury security to fund welfare and the Affordable Care Act.
We got a COLA raise during every presidency since 1975, but the Obama administration screwed us over. Obama is in charge of the Department of Labor and the Department cooked the prices so we don’t get a COLA raise.
The Democrats are bankrupting the US treasury security with all these government spending. The Democrats don’t want to cut government spending. They can’t give us a raise because they spent all of our money in the US treasury security and got to borrow over a trillion more to keep the government running.
tony
The millennials aren’t stupid to vote for Democrats. The Affordable Care Act was designed to make them buy medical insurance because the don’t use it, so they can offset the cost for people with preexisting conditions. The Democrats wanted the younger people to buy insurance because they don’t use it and it will offset the cost for people with preexisting conditions.
They also made it expensive for the millennials because the ACA had high monthly premium or very high deductibles where they couldn’t afford to use it. The high monthly premium and deductibles were due to the people with preexisting conditions.
The Democrats like to rob from Peter to pay Paul.
tony
The US military borrowed a trillion dollars of our Social Security Trust Fund money. How is the US military supposed to pay us back with interest. The US military isn’t reimburse by NATO or any country. The US taxpayers have to pay themselves back with more of their own money.
Tom
You have reduced hours for in-person service. You don;t answer the phone in a timely manner. You have to be near the bottom in customer service.
Fran
I agree!
Jon
Agree
michael w.
Amen
John
Truth
Jaclyn L.
I just waited 40 minutes on the phone to ask a question about my Medicare.. when I finally go a hold of a person, after hearing atleast 50 times the recording of the gut telling me the same thing that didn’t apply to me, i got a lady tjat shouldnt b talking to public at this time in anybody’s life.. she was so rude and inappropriate!! I was calling to double check something and she said as she was basically laughing at me, that’s not the way it works here! Like I knew? And she said, U just asked that question! Ummm.. no i didn’t? And I’m making sure I have health coverage!! Not a laughing matter, i can ask 3x if I don’t understand or if I’m double checking?? And basically hung up on me… what if I had another question? Do i call back and a wait another 40 minutes?? This wrong and ridiculous!!!
Ray F.
We apologize for any inconveniences, Jaclyn. Sometimes we experience higher than normal call volume. Generally, when calling our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later during the day or later during the week. Our representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Remember that many services are conveniently available anytime at our website. Individuals can create a personal my Social Security account to manage their Social Security benefits.
To find information about Medicare, please visit http://www.medicare.gov
Also, we will respond to questions and provide general information on our Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Medicare and SSI programs through our Blog and Facebook page. If you have a general question, we encourage you to ask here. But remember, never post personal information on social media. We hope this helps!
Ray F.
Hi Tom. We apologize for any inconveniences. Sometimes we experience higher than normal call volume. Generally, when calling our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later during the day or later during the week. Our representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Our offices are open to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until 4:00 p.m. Every Wednesday at noon, offices are closed to the public so that employees have time to complete current work and reduce backlogs. Remember that many services are conveniently available anytime at our website. Individuals can create a personal my Social Security account to get general information about our programs or manage their Social Security benefits. Also, we respond to questions and provide general information on our Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Medicare and SSI programs through our Blog and Facebook page. If you have a general question, we encourage you to ask here. But remember, never post personal information on social media. Thanks!
Robert K.
Ray, Personally I retired from SS when service was service. Unfortunately since congress has put the squeeze on SS administrative budget, which you know, currently amounts to less than a penny of each payroll tax dollar. This has caused reduction in staff, inadequately trained staff, fewer office hours available to meet public demands. Many who need and want personal service, find they are wasting the time and money in an effort to resolve their SS business. I know this because as a volunteer public advocate assisting SS beneficiaries with issues involving Medicare and SS issues I continually hear the frustration they experience on a daily basis, as a result of failed attempts to meet their reporting and filing responsibilities. Technique knowledge is great, but unfortunately many, and I’d guess a majority of elderly, are being discriminated against in that they lack the capability to and knowledge to complete their business in this manner. Thus congress needs to stop putting the squeeze on this very vital program.
Anonymous C.
Well said Robert. I’ll add that if you get hired to work for SSA nowadays & you take the time to provide the type of assistance SSA’s clients really need/deserve, you are unlikely to make it past your employment probationary period. Those that do won’t get promoted and their managers will “unofficially” tell them they would like to help them get promoted but they can’t (won’t) because the employee’s per client “handling times” are too long! It is one thing to (hopefully accurately) recite explanations of SSA’s programs, it is another to really help clients fully understand how SSA’s policies & procedures apply to them & to help clients properly and advantageously exercise their rights. The poorer & less educated the client, the less well the agency does in providing good service. Worse, employee time constraints & the resultant inability to accomplish tasks timely have fostered an uncaring attitude by agency personnel. Clients who experience payment and benefit problems (often due to agency fault or client misunderstandings) are now often treated by employees as impatient troublemakers or worse, as cheats and liars! Few employees are as concerned that their clients receive their payments/benefits as accurately and reliably as employees themselves receive their own paycheck. I find the culture that has emerged in the agency over the past thirty years morally corrupt and the antithesis of the service an agency like SSA should be providing. In SSA’s defense, much of the personnel cost-cutting at SSA has been politically driven either by voters & politicians that don’t want to spend money on social programs or worse, by politicians and capitalists that want the Social Security system as it exists today to fail so that the FICA money that funds it can be redirected to the private sector (where the inadequate service to the “most needy” uneducated/poor would likely be even worse).
Tanya s.
Are you required by law to sign up for Medicare A before you turn 65? Or can you sign up any time after 65?
Fran
Go to the Medicare web site. All your questions are answered there.
Celia
You can sign up later. But every month you wait after 65 will cost you more money per month, for the rest of your life, unless you are excepted by special conditions. Go to that site.
Ray F.
Hi Tanya. In most cases, if you do not sign up for Medicare when you are first eligible, you may be restricted to other enrollment periods or be subject to late enrollment penalties. To learn more about the Medicare enrollment periods visit http://www.Medicare.gov. Individuals within three months of age 65 or older and not ready to start their monthly cash benefits can use our online retirement application to sign up for Medicare ONLY and apply for their retirement benefits at a later date. We hope this information helps!
Jerome D.
How do I check to see if my wife and I are receiving the maximum monthly Social Security payments allowed?
We started collecting at age 62. I’ve been told there is an increase at age 70.
Susan i.
If you started receiving benefits at age 62, you do not receive an increase at 70 or any other age, other than any cost of living increase that all recipients would get. That’s the trade-off of taking benefits early instead of waiting until full retirement age or later.
Ray F.
Thank you for contacting us Mr. Peterson. Remember that reduction factors are permanently applied to all benefits an individual may qualify for once they opt to start their retirement benefits at age 62 or at any time prior to their full retirement age. Your monthly Social Security benefit amount could increase, based on the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), which is announced each year in October, or if you continue to work. Also, any of our representatives will be able to review your record and verify your payment information. You may not even have to travel to the local Social Security office, you can write to us, or you can call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213. Our representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Susan i.
Mr. Fernandez,
Why would you suggest that Mr. Peterson waste his time waiting on the phone to talk to a representative? If he elected to take benefits at 62 as he said he did, then he isn’t going to get an automatic raise when he turns 70. All he will get is any COLA increases as you have indicated. I guess you think by suggesting he call and talk to someone, you’re offering help. All you’re doing is ensuring that he will be very frustrated after waiting to speak to someone and then learning that he isn’t entitled to an increase because he is 70 or when he turns 70. I guess you think that retired people don’t have anything better to do than wait on the phone to talk to someone from SSA. When is the last time you tried to talk to someone at SSA???
Anonymous C.
Ray is right. If Mr Peterson worked after starting his benefits, there are several ways that his benefits might have increased other than due to COLAs. Specifically there is the possibility of an Adjusted Reduction Factor (ARFs) at age 66 (Full Retirement Age – FRA). ARFs adjust benefits upwards if Mr Peterson earned enough money between age 62 and 66 so as to not be due all of his “early retirement” benefits. Another possible increase is an AERO (Automatic Earnings Recomputation Operation) if Mr Peterson’s earnings after age 62 were sufficient to replace one of the 35 years previously used in the retirement benefit formula. DRCs (Delayed Retirement Credits) are also possible after FRA, but Mr Peterson would probably be aware if had accrued this type of benefit increase as he would have needed to contact SSA and specifically ask to forgo one or more of his monthly benefit checks between FRA and age 70.
The point is that benefit increases other than from COLAs are possible. That said, it is highly unlikely that any of the “non-COLA based” benefit increases wouldn’t have already occurred automatically. Mr Peterson would have been sent a letter at the time any such increase occurred. If Mr Peterson calls, SSA will be able to determine if such an increase occurred and resend any previously sent letter.
If after calling Mr Peterson still believes he missed out on a benefit increase he was due, he can submit a written request to his local office for a recomputation of his benefits and he should include an explanation about why he believes his current benefit amount is incorrect. Unfortunately for Mr Peterson (or for anyone that agrees to a reduced benefit taken at an early age), there is no benefit increase possible merely for attainment of age 70. (BTW, the usual benefit increase seen at age 70 is when a claimant is able to switch from receiving a benefit as a spouse or widow to a benefit based on their own earnings record – after Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs) have accrued. This does not seem to apply to Mr Peterson.)
Well said Robert. I’ll add that if you get hired to work for SSA nowadays & you take the time to provide the type of assistance SSA’s clients really need/deserve, you are unlikely to make it past your employment probationary period. Those that do won’t get promoted and their managers will “unofficially” tell them they would like to help them get promoted but they can’t (won’t) because the employee’s per client “handling times” are too long! It is one thing to (hopefully accurately) recite explanations of SSA’s programs, it is another to really help clients fully understand how SSA’s policies & procedures apply to them & to help clients properly and advantageously exercise their rights. The poorer & less educated the client, the less well the agency does in providing good service. Worse, employee time constraints & the resultant inability to accomplish tasks timely have fostered an uncaring attitude by agency personnel. Clients who experience payment and benefit problems (often due to agency fault or client misunderstandings) are now often treated by employees as impatient troublemakers or worse, as cheats and liars! Few employees are as concerned that their clients receive their payments/benefits as accurately and reliably as employees themselves receive their own paycheck. I find the culture that has emerged in the agency over the past thirty years morally corrupt and the antithesis of the service an agency like SSA should be providing. In SSA’s defense, much of the personnel cost-cutting at SSA has been politically driven either by voters & politicians that don’t want to spend money on social programs or worse, by politicians and capitalists that want the Social Security system as it exists today to fail so that the FICA money that funds it can be redirected to the private sector (where the inadequate service to the “most needy” uneducated/poor would likely be even worse).
Anonymous C.
Sorry, I accidentally posted both my response to Susan & my previous response to Robert Kivi together above (caught too much with my copy & paste operation). Ray, feel free to delete the superfluous content in the above post. Thanks.
Michele B.
At the time of check in be more specific in asking for the reason for the visit, i.e. list necessary paperwork. I waited 45 minutes for someone to tell me I didn’t have the proper paperwork to change my name. Then when I came back I had to wait another hour.
Michelle B.
My maiden name was Michelle Beckman and this comment was not made by me. Interesting there’s another “ME” out there. I would like to comment however that I live near both the Amarillo, TX and Clovis, NM offices. I use Clovis because they actually have an option to speak to a customer representative. The Amarillo office didn’t the last time I tried…you have to know the name of a representative and their extension number to even talk to anyone. You might check into that. Thanks!
Ira S.
In my opinion, blog.ssa.gov does a great job of dealing with subject matter like this! While frequently deliberately contentious, the material posted is more often than not thoughtful and stimulating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDwsVNMIbYc
Jon
This is unacceptable they need to do better poor customer service
jacquelin h.
Hell I called 3x today Each time there was a 40-45 minute waiting period. I waited 29 minutes and someone disconnected my first call. Th e next twoo I just held on for 10 minutes. I’m going to office on Wednesday at 8;30a.m.
Ray F.
Hi Jacquelin. We apologize for any inconveniences. Sometimes we experience higher than normal call volume. Generally, when calling our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later during the day or later during the week. Our representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Our offices are open to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until 4:00 p.m. Every Wednesday at noon, offices are closed to the public so that employees have time to complete current work and reduce backlogs. Remember that many services are conveniently available anytime at our website. Individuals can create a personal my Social Security account to get general information about our programs or manage their Social Security benefits. Also, we respond to questions and provide general information on our Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Medicare and SSI programs through our Blog and Facebook page. If you have a general question, we encourage you to ask here. But remember, never post personal information on social media. We hope this helps!
william c.
I have spent 3 months and 20 hours of calls talking to representives who have assured me the issues are resolved to no avail, In the meantime I have not received no check that I am owed and am living on no income, this should not be this hard, appears to me that at least 10 representatives are not doing their job, not happy with ss as I have paid into for 47 years and am not getting any satisfaction from anyone and your website is a joke,cannot even set up a user account, when I try it says not available at this time, every time I try to do it, do your job please
Ray F.
We apologize for the delay and inconveniences you are experiencing William. Unfortunately, but for your security, we do not have access to personal records in this blog. Your local office should be able to assist you. You should be allowed to speak with the office’s manager to see how we can help to expedite resolution of your situation. If you cannot create an account, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions to read information on why you may be unable to. Also, you can call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance. After you hear “Briefly tell me why you are calling,” say “Help Desk” for help with a My Social Security account. We hope this information helps.
tony
The Obama administration didn’t give us a COLA raise 3 years, but they gave the employees at the SSA a raise every year for bad customer service. If the cost of living didn’t go up, then nobody should be getting a raise.
dwhite03773@yahoo.com
i agree Thats toataly not fair
Mary W.
I also did not have a good customer service experience. I have called 5 times now, always put on hold for lengthy periods of time, only to have a recorded message say at the end of more than 30 minutes of holding each time, “we cannot take your call right now” and the call is then terminated. Very frustrating.
Ray F.
We are sorry to hear that you are having difficulty reaching someone by phone, Mary. We are experiencing higher than normal call volume. Representatives are available between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday but generally it’s best if you call later in the week. Keep in mind that many of our services are conveniently available anytime at our website. We encourage our customers to create a my Social Security account. With a personal my Social Security account, you can get estimates of your retirement, disability, and survivors benefits, review your earnings record and much more. Also, through our Blog and Facebook page, we respond to questions and provide general information about our programs. If you have a general question, we encourage you to ask here. But remember, never post personal information on social media. Thanks.
Thanks!