SSA Offices to Close Half-hour Earlier

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The SSA recently announced it will reduce its public service hours by 30 minutes at field offices nationwide on Aug 15. In the photo: Two individuals visit a SSA information table at a community event on July 22, 2011. (Photo Courtesy of Social Security Administration)
The SSA recently announced it will reduce its public service hours by 30 minutes at field offices nationwide on Aug 15. In the photo: Two individuals visit a SSA information table at a community event on July 22, 2011. (Photo Courtesy of Social Security Administration)

by Thelma Sardin

Starting Aug. 15, Social Security Administration offices across the country will cut its public service hours by 30 minutes to save money.

According to a recent press release, a field office that is usually open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. will close daily at 3:30 p.m., for example.

The agency is closing earlier so it will not have to pay its staff for overtime. SSA workers will not have a shorter work day but will have an extra thirty minutes for other duties.

The half-hour reduction in face to face public contact is due to a $ 1 billion budget shortfall.

President Barack Obama requested that Congress give the SSA $12.3 billion dollars for Fiscal Year 2011. According to the SSA, Congress provided $ 1 billion dollars less leaving the agency to make operational adjustments.

The agency will be $ 1 billion short again for upcoming Fiscal Year 2012, according to Andrew Salata, SSA Public Affairs Specialist.

The budget request for FY 2012 was 12.5 billion and Congress appropriated almost $ 1 billion less for us, said Salata.

According to the SSA website, the Federal fiscal year (FY) runs from October 1st of the preceding year through September 30th.

The agency is currently operating from Fiscal Year 2011s operating budget.

While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow us to complete face-to-face service with the visiting public without incurring the cost of overtime for our employees, stated Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security in the release. Congress provided our agency with nearly $1 billion less than the President requested for our budget this fiscal year, which makes it impossible for us to provide the amount of overtime needed to handle service to the public as we have in the past.

The 30 minute public service reductions will affect all the Social Security offices in Chicago and surrounding suburbs in the Chicago Metropolitan area.

Salata said that the SSA serves approximately 6.9 million residents in the Chicago metro area. The agency also distributes over 900,000 benefit payments for beneficiaries in the region.

The SSA continually reminds residents that some Social Security services do not require a visit to an office.

For example, anyone wishing to apply for benefits, sign up for direct deposit, replace a Medicare card, obtain a proof of income letter or who want to report a change of address or telephone number may do so at www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing our toll-free number: 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

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