Friday, March 11, 2022

SSA's Phone System Is Down

Have you been trying to get through to SSA by telephone with no luck? Do you get a chronic busy signal or does the phone line disconnect when you attempt to call SSA? You are not alone.

There are multiple reports that SSA's phone system has been down for quite some time. It is ALWAYS very difficult to get through to SSA via telephone, which makes doing business with SSA especially tough currently since they still have not reopened due to their continued pandemic concerns. However, it appears that customer service has gone from notoriously bad to just plain awful.  We started noticing that SSA's phone system seemed to be malfunctioning in early February. I started asking other colleagues if they were experiencing chronic phone issues with SSA and everyone is having the same phone problems with SSA. I thought it was limited to the SSA field offices, but today we realized that you cannot call in to many of the hearing offices either. 

On March 8, 2022, SSA FINALLY sent out a tweet confirming that their phone lines are not functioning properly, but clearly it has not been a high priority to fix the phones. I called several offices today and still could not get through to even the robotic message that normally plays when you telephone your local offices. 

Does SSA really think it is acceptable to ignore the fact that their phone system is not functioning at this point? Perhaps that is SSA's objective.....if people cannot contact SSA by phone, and cannot walk in their local offices to get assistance, then SSA is going to save a TON of time and money. They have effectively eliminated the "customer" out of the "customer service" model. 

Millions of people rely on these benefits in order to secure shelter, heat their homes, buy their medicines, and feed their families. Yet, SSA appears to have no problem ignoring the millions of people who depend on these vital benefits. 

SSA also does not utilize email as a form of contact, and offers only certain services online, so if people need assistance with SSA, that leaves snail mail and the fax machine as the only options to contact SSA. I can also tell you firsthand that SSA routinely misplaces mail and faxes, so you have a very LIMITED chance of getting a response to your paper inquiries.  

I have practiced SSDI/SSI law since 2004. I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that this is the most dysfunctional that I have seen SSA in the 18 years that I have practiced this area of law. I find it heartbreaking to say the least. The most upsetting part of all is that SSA doesn't seem to care that the wheels have fallen off the cart and appear to be doing little to rectify the problems and improve customer service.  

I wish I could tell you that  the worst is over and that we will see better service soon. However, I don't feel optimistic about SSA's future AT ALL. A lack of leadership, little accountability and a minimal budget ensures that SSA will continue to be run into the ground. 

Got a question about SSDI or SSI that you need us to answer? Please check out our website at www.westcoastdisability.com . We try to provide you with helpful information on our website that will allow you to successfully navigate the Social Security Disability process. Also, feel free to email me your questions at megan@westcoastdisability.com or call me at (800) 459-3017 x 101.