Social Security Administration Comes Under Fire for Field Office Closures and Poor Service

Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) August 20, 2018 – Lawmakers have criticized the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) recent field office closures across the United States.

The agency has closed 10 percent of its field offices nationwide since 2000, which is around 125 locations. Recent closures have included offices in North Baltimore, Maryland and Arlington, Virginia. In addition, SSA has also gotten rid of all 533 contact sites, which served rural areas. Officials explained that the shutdowns were part of the agency’s overall goal to transition to an increased use of online services.

“There are certain population groups that are likely to face major difficulties due to the office closures, including senior citizens and individuals with disabilities,” said Florida social security disability attorney David W. Magann. “Without a conveniently located field office, they may be forced to travel long distances to another location. The SSA should remember that not everyone is able to access services online.”

U.S. Senate Special Committee Chairwoman Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Robert Casey, a ranking committee member, sent letters to the SSA and General Services Administration (GSA) seeking explanations about why multiple offices have closed recently. They expressed their concerns about the series of shutdowns impacting the SSA’s quality of service.

The letters said, “As some 10,000 seniors turn 65 each day and file for Social Security and Medicare, we should be expanding access to services, not reducing access.” The senators pointed out that service hours at various field office locations have been cut while wait times and hearing backlogs have increased.

The letters cited recent findings from a SSA inspector general’s report that documented long processing times at regional hearing offices. The watchdog report noted low employee morale and insufficient staffing levels, among other issues. It suggested that having a higher support staff ratio could improve average processing times. Florida was among several states found to have “a disproportionate number of the lowest-ranking hearing offices” in relation to processing times, according to the acting inspector general.

Learn more at http://www.floridasocialsecurity.com/

David W. Magann, P.A.
Main Office:
156 W. Robertson St.
Brandon, FL 33511
Call: (813) 657-9175

Tampa Office:
4012 Gunn Highway #165
Tampa, Florida 33618

View Larger Map

• Be Aware of How You Could Lose Your Social Security Benefits
  1.Cessation of Disability: Usually a “cessation of benefits” occurs when you are not seeking regular and continuing treatment for the medical problems in the original determination for the grant of benefits. Also, if you are able to make enough money to pass above a certain threshold earnings amount, then you’ll stop getting disability benefits. For […]
• NEW IMPAIRMENT LISTING IN FULL EFFECT & APPLICABLE TO ALL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS IMMEDIATELY
  NEW MENTAL LISTINGS Effective: January 17, 2017 After a revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), and thousands of public comments later, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has published significant revisions to its mental impairment listings.  SSA had issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making in August 2010, proposing what at the time appeared to be […]
• SSA is Heading For Delays Again After Recent Cutbacks & Years of Improvement
  Service Cuts, Computer Problems Cloud Social Security’s 79th Birthday: The Social Security Administration should have reason to celebrate. After all, August 14, 2014, marked the 79th anniversary of the day when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, which ushered in the landmark entitlement program. However, the agency’s birthday was a less than cheerful […]
• SSA is Ramping Up Disability Reviews in 2014
  The Social Security Disability Benefits Reform Act of 1984 (“DBRA 1984”) was passed by a unanimous, bipartisan vote in the House and Senate (99-0) in September 1984. President Reagan signed the law on October 9, 1984, when it became Pub. L. No. 98-460. One of the main provisions required “medical improvement” before benefits could be terminated where […]
• Never Allow A Non-Attorney to Represent You At Your Social Security Hearing!
  You should NOT have a non-attorney clerk at your hearing?  This seems obvious, but several Florida law firms and any company identifying themselves as “Experts”, some who are advertising on TV, are sending non-attorney clerks to Social Security Hearings simply because its cheaper for them to do so rather than have an actual attorney appear. How in […]