Called local SS office to make appointment (federal, respect, married)
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Are you sure you need a face-to-face session? I knew what I wanted to do, and I got it all done by phone. This was 7 years ago. Can't remember whether I talked to a local office or the central Social Security administrative offices. Also can't remember how I knew I could just do it by phone, but I suspect it was because of calling for an appointment and being assured it was not necessary to come in.
Whatever, it was the easiest, smoothest, most productive 10 minutes or so I've ever spent with a government agency. And sure enough, my SS payments started being deposited when expected, in the amount expected. In reading these responses, I'm surprised nobody else seems to have been advised to do it by phone. I'm in southeastern PA, FWIW. Maybe it was a pilot program. . .
We made an appointment and I'm very glad we did. I got the last seat in that waiting room and the woman I was next to was talking to herself and acting strange. Luckily we got called back to a private room within 15 minutes and the woman we dealt with was an absolute delight and so informative. She walked us through the entire process and made it easy. When I commented on the waiting room she said it was like that every day, people without appointments wait hours, and many people are claiming to be disabled so they do act bizarre in the waiting room. This is Florida, so I guess you'd expect them to be really busy with all of the retirees, disability claims, and transplants, but it was a shock to me. Another poster mentioned it was like the DMV and that's how our SS office struck me, as well, until we met the woman who helped us and then it became a really nice experience. I guess it all depends on where you are and who helps you.
Actually, I was not dissing the DMV OR the local SS offices. In Va, you take a number at the DMV, after explaining at the front desk what service you need. They are fast and efficient actually, vastly improved from what they were 20 years ago, but it depends on what day and time you go as to how fast you are seen, though I do do all my routine stuff online, including license renewal. There are lots of DMV offices local,more than SS offices, I believe. But I've had to go a local SS twice and they were also fast, and knew exactly what I needed. Anyone that expects a McDonalds wait is being unrealistic.
The local, or closest would be a better word, Social Security had a budget cut. They deal IN the office with problems involving existing SS payments, and some appointments. All the rest they refer to the online system or a phone appointment. I went with the phone appointment. There were three, but never a problem, just steps after I'd sent in documents. I didn't have to get a ride or leave the comfort of my favorite chair.
When I got disability, I had a person helping, and she knew one of the agents and sent everything to him. If there was a new form, it got signed and faxed to him that day, and she'd call first so he'd be waiting for it. It took far less time than I expected. But I personally never had to go in for an appointment.
Just the suggestion they are like the DMV..... when I got my dad's car, which had been registered in two states, and the attorney doing the paperwork came with me they still managed to take three visits to finish it up, and almost an hour wait each time.
Just do a quick internet check to see if your local office will remain open. A friend who recently retired from working at s/s informed us that many offices will be closing and assistance will be by phone instead.
...beware the social security people in the office don't
always know what they are talking about...
The people who staff SS offices are much better-trained than those who answer the SS phones. The SS people with whom I talked on the phone never knew anything and gave me conflicting (although always wrong) advice -- and the people at the SS office always had the correct and most current information.
Too, when SS people on the phone said they were going to do something, it either didnt get done or didnt get done correctly. By contrast, when someone at an SS office said that, it was done immediately and correctly.
Just do a quick internet check to see if your local office will remain open. A friend who recently retired from working at s/s informed us that many offices will be closing and assistance will be by phone instead.
In that case they better answer the phones and not leave in phone tag Hell. Or on hold for hours.
The SS office I went to is in an area that has a great many immigrants from Latin America and Eastern Europe and was very busy and very slow. That was probably do to the complexity of dealing with the language difficulties and their not having appropriate paperwork. I estimate the number of native US citizens there to be about 10%.
The wait was about two hours each of the three times I went there.
One person I dealt with was good, the other (his boss) was evil.
Why don't you just drop by your local office for a few minutes and see what it's like?
Don't bother use the phone system unless you're the kind of person that likes one-night stands with people who give you a made-up name and don't call the next morning ... or ever.
The people who staff SS offices are much better-trained than those who answer the SS phones. The SS people with whom I talked on the phone never knew anything and gave me conflicting (although always wrong) advice -- and the people at the SS office always had the correct and most current information.
Too, when SS people on the phone said they were going to do something, it either didnt get done or didnt get done correctly. By contrast, when someone at an SS office said that, it was done immediately and correctly.
We went into the ss office with an appt.
All the info we got was wrong.
We were told to file an appeal. Rediculous. Got the correct answer here.
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