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Customer Service Number For Social Security

Less Money Less Staff

Scammers want your social security number

As with most things, customer service issues are tied in large part to money. Since 2010, the SSAs operating budget set each year by Congress has declined by 13 percent and its staff by 12 percent, while the number of Social Security beneficiaries has increased 22 percent, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Its a customer service agency, and you need money for that, says Kathleen Romig, a CBPP senior policy analyst who authored the analysis . The more people you have to take claims and answer questions, the more quickly and accurately it gets done. Staffing has declined precisely as much as the funding because thats where the money goes.

In 2010, the SSA had over 67,000 full-time employees. By 2021, there were fewer than 59,000. An SSA spokesperson noted that the agency experienced many years where we received less than the annual Presidents Budget request. The SSA has authorized about 6,000 hires in fiscal year 2021 for its front line components, but having enough warm bodies is only part of the solution. Staff need extensive training to decipher the agencys highly complex rules and regulations, and to coax accurate results from its antiquated computer systems, which in some cases are more than 35 years old.

Theyre doing the best they can, says Franklin. its a mess.

Getting Help In Person

You can apply for any type of benefit, get forms and information, and get help with Social Security issues in person at one of the more than 1,200 SSA field offices.

Social Security offices shut down in March 2020 and for most of the pandemic provided in-person service by appointment only and just for select situations involving urgent benefit issues or Social Security numbers.

While walk-in service resumed April 7, Social Security recommends scheduling your visit in advance. If you visit a field office without an appointment, the SSA says to expect long lines, especially at typically busy times, like Mondays, the day after a federal holiday and during the first week of the month.

A small number of field offices may continue to provide appointment-only service due to construction, inability to accommodate people waiting outside the office or other reasons. Check Social Security’s office closings and emergencies page for an up-to-date list.

Keep in mind

  • You must complete a self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms before entering a Social Security office and wear a mask during your visit.
  • You may be asked to wait outside due to limited office space, so plan for the weather.
  • If you need help with your visit because of a language barrier, disability or other issue, you may bring one adult for assistance. Otherwise, the SSA asks that you come alone .

Contact The Massachusetts State Supplement Program

You can contact the State Supplement Program by phone, fax, or mail. Business hours for the SSP Client Assistance Line are from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If you have questions about your federal Social Security benefits , you must contact the Social Security Administration directly by phone at 772-1213.

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Getting Help By Phone

If you are unable to use online services or want to speak directly to a Social Security representative, call the SSAs national customer service number at 800-772-1213 or call your local field office. You can apply for any type of benefit by phone, including survivor benefits and SSI.

The national phone line is staffed by live agents from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time on weekdays except for federal holidays. Outside those hours, you may be able to find what youre looking for using the SSAs automated phone service.

Field offices are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Enter your zip code into the SSAs field office locator to find the phone number for your nearest facility.

Wait times on calls to the national 800 number have fluctuated widely during the pandemic, rising sharply in the early weeks of the outbreak as field offices closed to visitors, then declining as the SSA outfitted more call center staff with tools to handle calls remotely. Hold times have spiked again in recent months as the agency implements an upgrade to the phone system, with waits averaging 32 minutes in February.

The SSA says customers may also experience busy signals or unintentional disconnects as it works through the technical issues and recommends calling when they system is typically less busy:

  • Between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
  • Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
  • Later in the week .
  • Toward the end of the month.

You Can Request Your Card Online Today

SSN Card Template

Sign in or create an account to submit your request

You can replace your card online and receive it in 14 days. You can also use your account to check the status of your request and manage other benefits you receive from us.

Trouble signing in?

Start the application online and visit your local SSA office for additional guidance for completing your application.

Prefer to talk to someone?

Contact your local SSA office.

You can start your Social Security number card application online. Once you’ve submitted your request, visit your local SSA office for additional guidance for completing your application. You will need to give us some of the information you provided again.

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Work Incentive Seminar Event Inquiries

If you have questions about a WISE webinar you may call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET or email .

If you have questions about a WISE webinar you may call the Ticket to Work Help Line at / Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET or email .

For Individuals Who Only Receive Ssp Benefits:

If you receive only SSP benefits, you will report your changes directly to NYS SSP.

Examples of changes that must be reported include, but are not limited to:

  • Change of residence and/or mailing address
  • Improvement of a disability
  • Income or employment changes
  • Change in countable resources that exceed $2000 for an individual, or $3000 for an SSI/SSP couple
  • Change in living arrangement or household composition, including the death of a household member or changes to who is living in the household. Please note that a change in who is in the household must be reported even if your address has not changed.

The changes listed above must be reported to NYS SSP within ten calendar days of the date of the change.

You should also tell NYS SSP about the following changes as soon as you know about them:

  • Changes in bank account information
  • Changes in your payee
  • Changes in who you wish to allow to receive information about your benefits

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How You Receive Benefits

If you receive both SSI and SSP benefits, you will receive your SSP benefits the same way you chose to receive your SSI benefit.

If you receive SSP benefits but do not receive SSI benefits, you can choose how to receive your benefits. We strongly encourage you to receive benefits through direct deposit, which is safe, fast and convenient.

If you currently have a representative payee for your SSI benefits, that person will also manage your SSP benefits. If you want to change your representative payee, you must contact SSA. If you receive SSP but do not receive SSI benefits, you can assign or change a payee by calling SSP at 1-855-488-0541.

Where To Report Changes Or Provide Requested Information:

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You may report changes to SSA by calling 1-800-772-1213 or by visiting your local SSA office in person.

You may report changes to SSP by calling toll free at 1-855-488-0541 OR by fax at: 518-486-3459 OR by email at: OR by regular mail at:

NYS OTDA PO Box 1740 Albany, NY 12201

NOTE: If you receive Social Security Retirement, Survivorâs, or Disability payments and also receive SSP benefits, SSA does not share your federal benefit information or any changes, including address or living arrangement, with SSP and you must report changes directly to SSP.

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Answers On Hold Average Wait Times

Nicolas Rapp

*Average wait time for a live Social Security representative to answer a call to the agencys toll-free customer service line

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Ticket To Work Questions

For questions or guidance specific to your situation please call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 / 1-866-833-2967 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET.

For general Ticket to Work inquiries, you may e-mail . We regret that we are unable to respond to specific scenarios or provide personalized advice via this e-mail.

Thank you for visiting our site and taking the time to provide us with your comments and feedback.

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Whom Should You Trust

After her ex-husband died in 2016, 62-year-old Ewa Gorzela tried to collect survivor benefits. At her first visit to the local office near her Carrollton, Texas, home in 2019, an SSA representative told her that yes, she would receive survivor benefits, but that she needed to bring in another document.

She brought the document to her second meeting but was assigned to a different SSA representative. This one asked if she was still working. She said yes and he said she earned too much money to receive survivor benefits.

Two people and two different answers, Gorzela says. I dont know what to do.

As Gorzela knows, right answers and wrong answers can impact peoples lives. According to a 2018 report from the SSA Office of the Inspector General, some of those eligible to receive widow and widower benefits werent adequately informed that waiting until age 70 to switch from survivor benefits to retirement benefits could have increased their payments. A 2016 U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that some recipients who visited SSA field offices did not consistently receive critical information to help make well-informed decisions. The report cited studies and surveys showing widespread misunderstanding about whether spousal benefits are available, how monthly benefits are determined, and how the retirement earnings test works.

Freedom Of Information Act

SSN Card Template

The FOIA allows members of the public to request records from Federal agencies. Please follow this link for SSA and OIG FOIA requests.

CONTACT THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATIONUse the Contact Us page on www.ssa.gov for Social Security-related questions and concerns, including:

*Lost Social Security cards*Applying for Supplemental Security Income *Changing the name on a Social Security card*Finding a local office*Applying for disability benefits

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Write The Social Security Administration

The last way to contact the Social Security Administration remotely is by writing to their Office of Public Inquiries. However, its worth noting that it may take longer to receive an answer due to the length of time it takes for letters to be delivered. If you do decide to write the Social Security Administration, use the following address:

Social Security Administration

Baltimore, MD 21235

Service Changes Due To Covid

We urge you not to visit Service Canada Centres unless absolutely necessary.

Ask us to help you with the following programs by using eServiceCanada:

  • Employment Insurance
  • Canada Pension Plan , Old Age Security , Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits
  • Social Insurance Numbers

We will call you back within 2 business days.

You can complete the following tasks at a Service Canada office:

  • obtain general information about the SIN Program
  • apply for a SIN or obtain a confirmation of your SIN
  • update your SIN record

Proof of identity documents are required to apply for a SIN, obtain a confirmation of your SIN and to update your SIN record.

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Reporting Changes To Your Case

You must report changes that may impact your benefits. The following reporting requirements apply to all SSP/SSPNA recipients:

Your SSP and SSPNA eligibility as well as benefit amount is based on information received from the Social Security Administration as well as information reported to New York State .

Your failure to report changes and/or to report any changes in a timely manner may result in a possible suspension, discontinuance, or reduction of your benefits. You may also have to repay benefits that you improperly received as a result of not reporting changes as required.

Contact The Social Security Administration By Visiting Your Local Office

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You can also simply find out where your local SSA office is. Visit in person to have your questions or concerns addressed. You can find out where your local office is by using the Social Security Administrations Social Security Office Locator. All you need to do is type in your zip code and the nearest office will be pulled up.

If you need to contact the SSA, you have four options for doing so. These are calling, emailing, writing, or visiting in person. Be sure to contact us for more advice regarding Social Security benefits. You can call to set up a free consultation today, and you can also take advantage of our LiveChat feature.

This is attorney advertising. SSDA, LLC is a group of attorneys that pursues claims for Social Security Disability benefits on behalf of its clients against the Social Security Administration. SSDA, LLC is in no way a part of the Social Security Administration. Further, the information on this blog is for general information purposes only. Nothing herein should be taken as legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, a representative-client relationship.

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Email The Social Security Administration

If you dont have the time to call the Social Security Administration on your phone or you feel more comfortable writing an email, then you can do so by writing an email to their support team. You can write them an email directly from their site. They will request your email address, a subject line and a message.

Using Our Automated Telephone Services

Services for all beneficiaries

  • Request a benefit verification letter
  • Ask for a form SSA-1099, Social Security Benefit Statement, to request a replacement tax summary

Services for Medicare beneficiaries only

  • Request a replacement Medicare Card
  • Request a form SSA-1020 to apply for help with Medicare prescription drug costs

Services for people who have applied for benefits

  • Ask to receive a claim status

Services everyone can use

  • Find the address of your local Social Security office
  • Request a form SS-5,Application for a Social Security Card, to:
    • apply for an original Social Security card or a replacement card if yours was lost or stolen,
    • request a name change on your card, or
    • update or correct other information on your Social Security number record.

Informational Messages

You can listen to informational messages on the following subjects:

  • Payment delivery dates
  • Best times to call our 800 number
  • Social Security Internet address and services
  • Supplemental Security Income
  • Non-receipt of your Social Security benefit
  • Representative payee

Services for Social Security Benefits Only

  • Change address and/or phone number

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For Individuals Who Receive Both Ssi And Ssp Benefits:

If you receive both SSI and SSP benefits, you will report your changes to SSA.

Examples of changes that must be reported include, but are not limited to:

  • Change of residence and/or mailing address
  • Change in countable resources that exceed $2000 for an individual or $3000 for an SSI/SSP couple
  • Changes in bank account information
  • Changes in your payee
  • Changes in who you wish to allow to receive information about your benefits

NOTE: You must report any change in your State Living Arrangement directly to NYS SSP, not to the SSA.

A change in living arrangement must be reported to NYS SSP within ten days of the date of the change. Please note that a change in who is in the household must be reported even if your address has not changed. The death of a household member, or changes to who is living in the household are living arrangement changes that must be reported.

How To Contact The Social Security Administration

SSN Card Template

There are a number of reasons why you need to know how to contact the Social Security Administration. For example, you may have questions about applying for benefits, or you may have questions about your current benefits. Perhaps you may have problems receiving your current benefits. Fortunately, its not difficult to have your questions or concerns addressed since there are multiple ways that you can contact the Social Security Administration.

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Ways To Beat The Bureaucracy

Feel like youre not getting the answers you need from Social Security? Take these steps to improve your odds of customer service success.

  • Avoid calling for help during busy times. Peak hours for the national toll-free number are the first week of the month and when payments are made, generally Wednesdays.
  • Skip the phone and seek help online if you can. The silver lining of the pandemic is that it is now easier to do more things online, says Mary Beth Franklin, a certified financial planner who specializes in Social Security.
  • Explore the Social Security website. If youre receiving conflicting answers to questions, research your issues at ssa.gov. Its a treasure trove of information, Franklin says. Find your answers there, then show the Social Security representative where you found it.
  • Research independently. AARPs Social Security Resource Center includes a comprehensive mix of calculators, tools and articles, plus the ability to submit questions. Many other nonprofits and investment companies also offer useful information, with no obligations.
  • Consider hiring an expert. Deciding when and how to file for retirement benefits is often tricky, especially if you have a spouse. Not thinking through the details can cost you thousands of dollars in lost benefits. But making those decisions is not the SSAs job. The Social Security representative is there to process your claim, not to tell you how to file it, Franklin says.
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