The Social Security Administration (SSA) has recently announced a change in operational hours for field offices. According to the release, beginning November 19, field offices will be open from 9 a.m. to 3:00p.m., a reduction of 30 minutes. On January 2, field offices will close at noon on Wednesdays.
For those in Ohio, it means that if you need personal help with your social security benefits, you need to be there a little sooner. The purpose of the early closing time is to allow more time for employees to work on claims, without having to use overtime.
SSA has large backlogs, due in part to increased workloads and fewer resources to handle the work. This highlights a problem with the current operation of all federal agencies. Many, if not all, have been operating for years on static or shrinking budgets, even when there is more demand for their services.
A spokesperson for SSA stated that there budget allocation was smaller than the administration requested.
Politicians like to promise lower taxes, but those taxes help pay for the processing of social security disability insurance (SSDI) applications and the payments of SSDI benefits. The decade’s long backlog for SSDI applications hovers around 800 days, and it may get longer.
Given the difficulties inherent in the system, a SSDI attorney can help you with the process and with your application for benefits.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, “Social Security offices in Ohio to scale back hours,” Mark Williams, November 13, 2102