Letter to the Public on Service
Reading Time: 5 MinutesLast Updated: November 2, 2023
I want to update you about how things are going at the Social Security Administration.
About a year ago, I took the unprecedented step to close our offices to the public. I did this to keep our employees and you—the public we serve—safe. As we enter year two of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines and other precautionary measures give us cause for hope. For now, we will continue our current safety measures as described in our COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan. This plan is iterative, and we will update it as we receive additional government-wide guidance and information from public health experts in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Like many businesses and organizations, the pandemic has forced us to adapt. I want to thank our employees for their willingness to embrace innovative ways of working while we continue to deliver our mission. As we examine our work in a new light, we are asking which lessons learned could improve service beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
We understand that the public wants to engage with us on some matters in person, and our local offices are integral to our communities. We also know that not everyone can conveniently come to us in person and that when you do visit, you want the process to be efficient. For example, we may need evidence from you, but we do not need to interview you in person. We are currently testing drop box and express appointment options for the public to bring in documentation.
Often, you only need to know your Social Security number and do not need a physical Social Security card. However, if you do need to replace your card, we are testing video appointments if you need a new Social Security card but do not need to change any of the information in our records. Although ideas like these began as solutions during COVID-19, we are considering how they could improve service in the future.
Some of these concepts also allow us to consider how we might continue to use telework, something that most organizations and companies have depended on during the COVID-19 pandemic, to drive longer-term operational efficiencies like reducing space. We could use those savings to provide you more online service options and hire more people to serve you more quickly as well as to retain outstanding employees. We will continue to engage our managers, employees, and unions on ways we could use telework to improve customer service and other issues.
We often note that Social Security touches the lives of nearly every American. Be assured that as we continue to evolve, we are committed to serving everyone including our most vulnerable populations who often require in person assistance. We are working with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, claimant advocates, and other organizations to ensure our services are accessible to people with low income, limited English proficiency, mental illness, or facing homelessness. We recently added online tools and information pages to our website including:
- Online resources for People Helping Others access our services.
- Online Outreach Materials for Partner Groups.
- Updated information for Faith-Based and Community Groups including a new toolkit.
As we contemplate the future, we are delivering now. To help improve deteriorating service, we have added over 6,000 frontline employees to help you. We decreased the average wait to talk to our 800 Number agents by one-third and reduced the agent busy rate by over 50 percent in the last two years, and our 800 Number agents handled 1.6 million more calls than they did a year ago.
During the pandemic, we shifted service to the telephone where local office employees answered 13 million more calls last year than they did in fiscal (FY) 2019. They answered your calls in under 3 minutes on average compared to an average wait of nearly 24 minutes in FY 2019.
For individuals who were denied benefits and requested an appeal, we quickly shifted to holding hearings by telephone at the start of the pandemic and then added online video hearings. During the pandemic, we have continued to reduce the number of people waiting for a hearing to 376,000 at the end of February 2021, the lowest level in nearly 20 years. We reduced the average wait for a hearing by over 9 months in the last two years. If you are still waiting for a hearing, please consider scheduling by telephone or video. You can find out more information about telephone hearings and video hearings.
The pandemic has significantly disrupted parts of our disability process, particularly at the state Disability Determination Services (DDS) that make disability determinations for us. We have provided the DDSs with additional hiring and overtime to help address a significant increase in pending initial disability cases. The DDSs have been able to reduce the number of people waiting for a decision on initial disability claims by about 100,000 cases since the height of the pending cases in August 2020. In order to make initial disability decisions as quickly as possible, and to reduce the burden on the medical community still stressed from the pandemic, we have focused our limited resources on completing initial requests for disability benefits and have reduced the number of continuing disability reviews we are conducting.
We have made some notable improvements to our online services:
- Our redesigned Retirement Benefits Portal helps you prepare and apply for retirement benefits, with clearer, simplified information.
- We improved our registration process for our online my Social Security account – more than one million people will register for an account this month.
- Our Message Center allows people with a my Social Security account to access notices online instead of by mail.
- We implemented an online payment option for people to repay debts to Social Security.
- We expanded our online Social Security card replacement service to almost all states. If you need to replace your card, you can request a replacement through your my Social Security account if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen age 18 years or older with a U.S. mailing address;
- Are not requesting a name change or any other change to your card; and
- Have a driver’s license or a state-issued identification card from one of 45 participating states or the District of Columbia. If your state does not yet participate in this service, check back soon. More states are added regularly.
The entire team at Social Security is working hard to serve you. We thank you for your patience during the COVID-19 pandemic and we look forward to welcoming you back in our offices when it is safe to do so. We also look forward to continuing to improve all of our service channels to provide you with convenient options to do business with us.
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Tags: COVID-19, my Social Security, social security, SSI
See CommentsAbout the Author
Andrew Saul, Commissioner, Social Security Administration
Commissioner of Social Security Administration (June 17, 2019 - July 9, 2021)
Comments
Comments are closed.
Barbara R.
I too am on SSI .when the first checks were issued, I was issued a check almost immediately.
I did
nothing, I filed nothing. Our information is ALREADY in the system,so there was no need to file anything..
I too have yet to receive my stimulus check.
Charlene L.
I am waiting on my 1400. 1099ssa when the date I get check on 3rd each is April 3 that to long I need pay some bills I thought I get. Mine Wednesday 17 no-fiter. SSID. My income. Under 11,320 net so when SSA going release
Melissa l.
Went thru a lawyer approved now I get a letter about phone calls
Melissa S.
When will I get my stimulus on my direct express card
Darryl C.
I’m with Cynthia, Trumps stimulus payments didn’t take this long to process and deposit. How does some get and some dont get in a timely manner. The money is there, but should have been deposited already
Kevin P.
Help the people who are affected with
Covid19 .
Tom S.
The problem is S.S and so many assume that everyone has a computer and is on line. All one has to do is read or listen to the news to know that is the least secure place to do anything no matter how secure You say it is, nothing is hack proof.You go to more security pass words requiring more then one device making it more not less cumbersome. Phone appointments run a week’s to a month out. Then you send/waste money on numerous letters telling one to do it on line and why. IRRITATING!!!
Theodore R.
I have a Direct Express Account in which I previously received the past two stmulus, however I have not received the $1400 stimulus.
Please help
Brittany T.
This office being closed is really affecting people especially when we don’t have time to correspond through the freaking mail this is ridiculous
Cynthia A.
I’m on direct express and I’m trying to find out when I will receive my $1400 stimulus check.
I draw SSI
PLEASE I REALLY WISH SOMEONE WOULD GIVE ME AN ANSWER ON WHEN I WILL GET MY MONEY.
Lillieanna P.
When will i get my check
SSI i.
Last time I got mine on the 2nd or 3 wave or week they were doing the stimulus. Be patient were gonna get it
Kristyna N.
I’m still waiting too ssdi here from all I read irs has yet to announce a date but supposedly it’s coming I’m the next wave which are supposedly happening every Wednesday
Julia M.
Per IRS, they will provide a date shortly.
Helpful info on IRS website about SSDI,
SSI, People who recv Vet disability and railroad pension as well as SSA. These people are in the same group. So we need to be patient and wait until IRS releases a update. SSA doesnt have info about your stimulus pymt. Good Luck
Judith B.
I am not on ssi but I was and I am fighting to get it back now I am homeless stay here and there I really need the money I have been staying with people I don’t know just to keep warm and I was looking forward to that money so I can have warm. And place to lay my head at night please let me know too it is suppose to rain all this week too so I really need that money please tell us when we mite receive this money
Ruth T.
I too am on SSI, 75 years old and many disabilities. I also have less than $5.00 left to see me through the end of the month. SSI recipients are among the poorest and most needy citizens yet IRS has not even considered a date they will release our money. Sorry I can’t give you an answer but I had to join you in ranting about it
regina w.
There saying between 15th to the 31st
laura s.
hi i just got notice on 19th that direct express has received 1400 stimulus funds will be available 25of march
James F.
We are all in the same boat I believe. Apparently, the new administration is ineffective (under Trump, we had this payment immediate) or insensitive to the needs of Seniors and the disabled.