From the Social Security Administration:
Effective November 19, 2012, the Abingdon Social Security office will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday. In addition, beginning January 2, 2013, the office will close to the public at noon every Wednesday.
While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims work without incurring the cost of overtime. The significantly reduced funding provided by Congress under the continuing resolution for the first six months of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the agency to provide the overtime needed to handle service to the public as it has done in the past.
In addition, on November 23, the day after Thanksgiving, all Social Security field offices will be closed to the public. As we did last year, employees working that day will focus on reducing backlogged workloads.
Most Social Security services do not require a visit to a local office. Many services, including applying for retirement, disability or Medicare benefits, signing up for direct deposit, replacing a Medicare card, obtaining a proof of income letter or informing us of a change of address or telephone number are conveniently available at www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778. Many of our online services also are available in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov.
Even less convenient for the working class if they need something from SS. Why not be open 3 days a week with longer hours.
Or three days with bankers hours, two days with 2pm to 8pm.
Kaz- do you really think they care about the working class. I would bet that social services wont be closing early but who cares about the disabled, retired or others that need ssa assistance. What a joke
Another hypocritical move brought to you by the Executive Branch of the Obama administration. If they cared about the elderly and needy they would have evening and Saturday hours and open later in the morning. The Congress DID NOT provide ‘significantly reduced’ funding to SSA. This is just HHS telling older folks and the disabled that since they didn’t get every dollar they requested then the SSA customers will be punished.
And the fiscal cliff brought to you by the Republican Tea Party dominated House which refuses to compromise on anything that they have promised to Grover Norquist.
I’m surprised at you Alex…. certainly Social Security must be one of those entitlement programs you despise. Why would you care if they opened at all? Ah, I see… just another opportunity for you to criticize without offering any tangible or helpful suggestions. A Tea Party favorite.
BECAUSE,
What I despise is hypocrisy, arrogance and ineptitude. SSA is not an entitlement. People paid for it and their employers likewise paid money in to the program on behalf of their employees rather than paying it directly to the employees. All mandatory. Over the years Congress and various administrations of all persuasions have taken the money and used it to buy votes. I expect government departments to offer top notch customer service using well trained, efficient and effective employees and programs rivaling the best in the private sector. After all, they get paid the same or more.
You want some tangible, helpful suggestions? Poll SSA ‘customers’ and ask them when they would prefer SSA to be open, and be open those hours. Initiate employee evaluations and training so that the quality of all employees is raised significantly. Stop paying/promoting people based on years of service but based on performance. Keep the money paid in to SSA in a separate account that cannot be used for anything else.
No matter how the fiscal cliff comes, if it comes, I am actually not terribly concerned about it. The craziness of ever increasing debt has to stop some time and I guess it might as well be January 1, 2013. This ‘fiscal cliff’ hysteria is nonsense anyway. The thing that the government fears most is when the people stop believing what government leaders say. The thing today’s media fears most is having no ‘crisis’ to report on.
With relative few exceptions the amount an individual takes out of the system far exceeds what they contribute. The first penny beyond that “investment” is an entitlement. If it quacks like a duck it’s a duck.
Money Tree,
If I invested in a lifetime annuity and lived long enough to receive money that was in excess of my purchase price, would that be an entitlement? Using your logic, any monies received through investment above that which you contributed is an entitlement.
Money Tree,
I would hope that people do take out more than they put in. That is the nature of a retirement program where people contribute for years and the money grows and grows so there is more there when withdrawals begin than was actually contributed. If my money is not growing then I have put it in the wrong place. Of course it goes without saying that I have put it in the wrong place when I let the Feds manage it.
But, in reality, SSA is not a good deal. How do I know that? One clue – if it were, then Congress and the Executive and Judicial branches would have been participating in it all of these years rather than setting up their own Cadillac program.
“Some animals are more equal than other animals.” Orwell, 1984, chapter 10.
Don’t get me wrong – I’d just as soon SS went away. It’s not sustainable in it’s current form and apparently most recepients are too ignorant to plan for thier own futures or consider the honest and real implications to future generations. Indeed I could easily turn that amount and invest it but you and I both know the vast majority of Americans won’t or can’t. Try talking about means testing or any reduction in benefits and listen to the howling that ensues and from those with full knowledge they’re picking the pockets of their grandkids. I’m saying if the bulk of Americans insist that SS is the answer to our retirement futures we have no choice – they take our money and spend it on other things…it doesn’t accrue sqwaut so the first penny beyond what you’ve put in is an entitlement because there’s nothing else beyond it. Dreaming about wulda, culda’s isn’t real.
Because you’re an idiot.
Ah personal attack. The domain of the small minded. Stay classy Common Sense… we wouldn’t want you to become all enlightened or anything.
Don’t hate me Because you’re an idiot.
Social Security cutting hours at the Abingdon office is now President Obama’s fault too? Is there a degree of separation between the Executive Branch and SSA making management decisions? What hyperbolic and moronic statement to make. Cutting hours may actually reduce the backlog of cases, processing times and increase productivity if clients are seen more by appointment. In addition, using internet based systems actually reduces the need to have brick and mortar hours that cost more to maintain, more labor, staff and upkeep than having reduced hours. Maybe the reductions are due to efficiency in the system (or is efficiency exclusive to private employers?). Your statement is without clue as to what really happens at a local office and your understanding of what social security insurance really is not what you want it to be. It is not an investment, but insurance for when a taxpayer retires, they would have minimum base to draw for maintain a basic standard of living not to replace the income lost from not being able to work. It turns out that there are plenty of idiots in this forum and a few actually should be banned from posting altogether.
The fact that you think people should be banned because you don’t agree and that you think SS is “insurance” for retirement tell me your a flippin’ full time idiot.