How We Serve People Who Have Limited English Proficiency
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: January 4, 2024
We have resources in many languages to help people with limited English proficiency (LEP). By addressing language and other barriers, we can help more people access Social Security programs, services, and benefits.
Our free interpreter services are available to people who prefer to conduct business in a language other than English. We offer interpreters in more than 200 languages to help customers communicate and understand important information. Customers can obtain these services by calling our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 or by visiting a local office and asking for an interpreter.
Our website provides online resources in Spanish including information on retirement benefits, disability benefits, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.
We offer the instructions for applying for a Social Security Number card in 17 languages (including English and Spanish). Applicants can use the new instructional guides to complete the official SS-5 English form.
We offer many of our publications in languages other than English. Please check out Social Security Information in Other Languages page to view these resources, which include:
- Social Security Numbers for Non-Citizens.
- Understanding the Benefits.
- A sample Social Security Statement and 10 supplemental fact sheets.
We strive to improve our customer service and provide helpful information to everyone. You can learn more about our commitment to increase access to benefits and services for LEP customers in our Language Access Plan.
Please share this information with your colleagues, friends, and family.
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: People Facing Barriers, social security, Social Security benefits, SSN
See CommentsAbout the Author
Comments
Leave a Comment
Please review our Comment Policy before leaving a comment. For your safety, please do not post Personally Identifiable Information (such as your Social Security Number, address, phone number, email address, bank account number, or birthdate) on our blog.
iegor
Ensuring equitable access to Social Security programs and services for all, regardless of language barriers. دانلود
Tony
SSA DISABILITY FRAUD!!!!!!!
When the SSA created the CDI Unit to prevent disability fraud, they removed the method for the DDS to flag fraud in the SSA POMS manual. The method to flag fraud is a secret from the public.
The VA does nothing about fraud and these unaccredited claim coaches are coaching people what to say and write. Some of these VA claim coaches are calling themselves disability counselors and giving veterans letters to submit to the VA. The SSA CDI Unit and DDS better watch out for these letters and not confuse them as medical evidence.
Tony
The VA spent billions of dollars and decades of research and treatment and doesn’t even know much about PTSD.
The VA pays veterans for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Substance Used Disorder (SUD) as a secondary condition cause by PTSD, but it is not in the schedule rating for mental disorders 38 C.F.R. 4.130.
There is no disorder in the DSM 5 that is listed as PTSD with alcohol dependency.
PTSD, SUD, and AUD are comorbid conditions which are simultaneously present. There is no primary or secondary condition. PTSD cannot be primary and AUD be secondary.
There are conditions in the DSM 5 that have combinations such as Major Depressive Disorder with psychotic features, but PTSD with alcohol dependency is not one of them.
The VA doesn’t do anything about all the unaccredited VA claim coaches telling veterans what to say and write to get disability benefits. They don’t even follow the own regulations for schedule of rating for mental disorders.
Tony
The SSA is going to need more interpreters for “The Greater Recession of 2024” There is going to be more people applying for Social Security.
People have less savings now then they had during the great recession of 2008. They won’t be able to spend if they don’t have money in their savings. There won’t be any stimulus because all the money was wasted on the pandemic.
The Federal Reserves may save the stock market by lowering interest rates during the recession, but the rest of the economy will take longer to recover.
A major correction in the stock market has always occur during a Presidential election year. The recession will definitely happen this year.
Tony
If the veterans have PTSD and can’t manage their money, then their 2nd amendment right and guns are taken away.
If the veterans have PTSD and has an alcohol and drug addiction, but can manage their money, then they can keep their guns.
The VA takes away a veteran’s guns if they can’t manage their money, but let’s them keep it if they are a alcohol and drug addict. Then the VA wonders why the suicide rates among veterans is getting worse.
The VA rewards them with more money for being drunk and drug addict, then let’s them keep their guns. Shooting themselves dead with a gun while they are drunk or high is a suicide. Dying of an overdose is also considered a suicide.
Alcohol and drug addiction is treatable. If they doesn’t make them to go to treatment, then the VA should drug test them every week to make sure they have alcohol and drug in their system. Why do taxpayers have to pay $3737/month to a veteran who is not drunk or high?
Tony
At least the SSA stopped giving disability just because they have limited English proficiency.
The SSA also stopped giving disability for alcohol and drug addiction, but the VA does follow their own law. After decades of research and treatment almost all veterans PTSD gets worse instead of better.
The VA gives 100% P&T disability for alcohol and drug disorders as a secondary condition to PTSD. Most of the 100% PTSD are alcohol and drug addicts.
The VA National Center for PTSD states using drugs and/or alcohol can make PTSD symptoms worse.
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/related/substance_abuse_vet.asp#:~:text=In%20the%20wars%20in%20Iraq,(1%2D2%20hours).
PTSD doesn’t make alcohol and drug symptoms worse. How can alcohol and drug disorders be secondary to PTSD. How is the alcohol and drug disorders proximately due to or the result of PTSD?
The VA hasn’t even improved the suicide rate among veterans. They are overdosing or shooting themselves dead when they are drunk or high.
Tony
All the mental health medication states don’t use alcohol and illegal drugs with the medication. The symptoms and side effects get worse with the alcohol and drug, but the VA pays them more for not following prescribed treatment.
D T.
Why are you servicing any non-english speaking person? Apparently they are not legal citizens and have not paid into SS. No one, absolutely no one, should receive any SS benefit who did not contribute. SS funds belong ONLY to legal citizens who paid into this savings fund for retirement years.
Tri V.
Existing factsheets on benefits for non-citizens that could be found with a simple web search.
https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11051.pdf
https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-non-citizens.htm
Sunshine
You are 100% correct These illegal criminal alien invaders deserve nothing. They all need to be shipped back to one of the 160 countries that Biden has let them and flown them in at night at our expense and bust to places unknown. oh let’s not forget all the little children that were disappeared around 15,000 of those little children have disappeared in the years that the O’biding criminal cartel family has been ruling with his plan to destroy America oh and by the way that is one of the biggest dreams of China is to destroy us from the inside out of our country and also George Soros is biggest dream since his two articles were published back in 1974 and 2017, Soros needs to be locked up and and his son and The key thrown away or even a nice public hanging would be wonderful. But then All the people that attended Davos with maybe 1% were there to get information on what they’re up to. The sad things is is that all the Chinese military men that are coming into the United States across the southern border is one big crock of BS. AND THAT THE BORDER PATROL HAS CAUGHT TERRORISTS TRYING TO BRING EXPLOSIVES BIG EXPLOSIVES INTO THE UNITED STATES ACROSS THE BORDER AND LUCKILY THEY WERE ARRESTED AND SENT BACK TO IRAN. WE HAVE CARTELS IN EVERY STATE IIN ALL 50 STATES
Jose S.
I was trying to get my SSA benefits in Spanish with no positive results, I spoke to several representatives, requested by phone and still geting in English. I do not undestand this kind of spanish offers on line. if SSA do not accoplish my requested verification letter in spanish, what kind of joke is that?
Sue
Hi, Jose. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. The benefit verification letter is not available in Spanish. To help you conduct business with us in languages other than English, including Spanish, we provide free interpreter services. For assistance, call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. For service in Spanish, press 7 and wait for a Spanish-speaking representative to help you. We also offer information in Spanish at http://www.segurosocial.gov, http://www.facebook.com/segurosocial, and http://www.twitter/segurosocial. We hope this helps.
Gurbachan S.
Some times, messages appear from various agencies for welfare like housing authorities or Rental assistance & alike ask for SsNumber full form or last FOUR Digits; But I always Refuse to oblige and Leave that page; simply to protect my privacy; don’t know whether I right or wrong.,BUT I DO IT LIkE THIS- just as a SECURITY PROTECTION
Jean
It should be obvious why you are asked for your SSN when you apply for assistance! It’s to help prevent fraud. Places like banks need your SSN for reporting purposes. You can refuse to give your SSN, but then the requestor has the right to deny their services.
Sunshine
I had a gardener work for me and I point blank asked him in 2020 who he was going to vote for and he said he couldn’t vote because he was here illegally. so I told him since you are here illegally and you have forged documents plus your family are getting welfare benefits and medical benefits and the children are getting to go to school for free and they are getting housing allowances on their forged papers. I talk to two Uber drivers who were here illegally and one of them said that he was from Iran and he’s putting his kids through college of course they’re getting a grant and he and his wife have a home that they purchased on the low income housing yet he was from Iran an Uber didn’t even check them out, his driver’s license was probably fake too. The other Uber driver was from China and told me that he was here illegally as well. I couldn’t report either one of them because they had my house address and I was terrified. there’s no way that I would have even sat in the car driven by two different drivers who were here from Iran and China. oh and actually there was a third one and he was from Russia how about that one. at the time I couldn’t drive because I had been in a car crash and had a concussion
BILL S.
WHY are you issuing social security numbers to illegals and others who have NOT paid into Social Security ever. I paid in for 60 years and I don’t want my money going top ILLEGALS
I don’t expect to get an answer
Jean
SSNs are NOT assigned to people unless they are legally in the U.S. When someone applies to receive SSA or SSI benefits, they also must prove their legal status in the U.S.
Free W.
That is not true. SS not only gives numbers to illegals it has been reported that they also receive up to 2,500.00 a month including health and food.
Epoch times did a very excellent documentary on the benefits illegals get crossing the border illegally.
SSA is a illegal subcontractor(3 letter agency) hired by a Foreign For Profit Corporation, USA INC. Nothing more than Filthy Pirates.
This is why our Fed Govt is filled with greedy traitors that sold out the people and country. The Fed Govt of the USA INC has been and is the most corrupt Govt on the planet. SSA helps with SS cards and “ghost” benefits that help get them shelter and vehicles filed and recorded on a separate database.
Washington Post did a series on the Fed Govt(subcontractors) involved with getting illegals across the border and taking children to put on buses.
You are being replaced your just not bright enough to see it.
Sunshine
You are 100% correct, Also These illegal criminal alien invaders deserve nothing BUT O’biden has given the Chinese CCP, IRAN all of them ARE SIGNING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY & & ALSO THE OTHER 156+2=160 X OVER 5 MILLION HAVE COME IN FROM OUR SOUTHERN BORDER NOT COUNTING THE GODAWAYS WHICH AMOUNTS TO AN ESTIMATE OF ANOTHER COUPLE OF MILLION 👈🏻👉🏻 They all need to be shipped back to ONE of THE 160 countries that Biden has LET THEM IN FROM and FLOWN THEM IN at NIGHT at OUR EXPENSE and BUSED to PLACES UNKNOWN (I WATCH IT HAPPEN ON A GUY FILMING THE MIDNIGHT SLIGHT OF, THE GUY ASKED WHERE THEY WERE BEING BUS TO AND THE BUS DRIVER SAID HE WASN’T ALLOWED TO GIVE OUT THAT INFORMATION. oh let’s not forget all the little children that were disappeared around 15,000 of those little children have disappeared in the years that the O’biding criminal cartel family has been ruling with his plan to destroy America oh and by the way that is one of the biggest dreams of China is to destroy us from the inside out of our country and also George Soros is biggest dream since his two articles were published back in 1974 and 2017, Soros needs to be locked up and and his son and The key thrown away or even a nice public hanging would be wonderful. But then All the people that attended Davos with maybe 1% were there to get information on what they’re up to. The sad things is is that all the Chinese military men that are coming into the United States across the southern border is one big crock of BS. AND THAT THE BORDER PATROL HAS CAUGHT TERRORISTS TRYING TO BRING EXPLOSIVES BIG EXPLOSIVES INTO THE UNITED STATES ACROSS THE BORDER AND LUCKILY THEY WERE ARRESTED AND SENT BACK TO IRAN. WE HAVE CARTELS IN EVERY STATE IIN ALL 50 STATES
Tri V.
Existing factsheets on benefits for non-citizens that could be found with a simple web search.
Glad that you were able to get two answers, hopefully surpassing your expectations.
https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11051.pdf
https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-non-citizens.htm