Email The Social Security Administration
If you dont have the time to call the Social Security Administration on your phone or you feel more comfortable writing an email, then you can do so by writing an email to their support team. You can write them an email directly from their site. They will request your email address, a subject line and a message.
Record Of Your Transactions Card Account Balance & Know Your Balance
You should check your Card Account balance and Transaction history on a regular basis. The information is available to you free of charge through our Customer Service number and at our web site, www.usdirectexpress.com. For a fee, you can also receive written statements each month.
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Getting Help By Phone
If you are unable to use online services or want to speak directly to a Social Security representative, call the SSAs national customer service number at 800-772-1213 or call your local field office. You can apply for any type of benefit by phone, including survivor benefits and SSI.
The national phone line is staffed by live agents from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time on weekdays except for federal holidays. Outside those hours, you may be able to find what youre looking for using the SSAs automated phone service.
Field offices are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Enter your zip code into the SSAs field office locator to find the phone number for your nearest facility.
Wait times on calls to the national 800 number have fluctuated widely during the pandemic, rising sharply in the early weeks of the outbreak as field offices closed to visitors, then declining as the SSA outfitted more call center staff with tools to handle calls remotely. Hold times have spiked again in recent months as the agency implements an upgrade to the phone system, with waits averaging 32 minutes in February.
The SSA says customers may also experience busy signals or unintentional disconnects as it works through the technical issues and recommends calling when they system is typically less busy:
- Between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Later in the week .
- Toward the end of the month.
Your Liability For Unauthorized Transactions
Tell us AT ONCE if you believe your Card or PIN has been lost or stolen. Telephoning us at the Customer Service number is the best way of keeping your possible losses down. You could lose all the money in your Card Account. If you tell us within two Business Days, you can lose no more than $50 if someone used your Card or PIN without your permission. If you do NOT tell us within two Business Days after you learn of the loss or theft of your Card or PIN, and we can prove that we could have stopped someone from using your Card or PIN without your permission if you had told us, you could lose as much as $500.
If you canât telephone us, you can write to us at Direct Express®, Payment Processing Services, PO Box 540190, Omaha, NE 68154-0190. If you are a California resident, you will not be liable for the $500 amount described above in any event. If you are a New York resident, your liability for the unauthorized use of the Card will not exceed $50.
Also, if the written Transaction history or other Card Transaction information provided to you shows transfers that you did not make, tell us at once. If you do not tell us within 120 days after the transfer allegedly in error was credited or debited to your Card Account, you may not get back any money you lost after the 120 days if we can prove that we could have stopped someone from taking the money if you had told us in time. If a good reason kept you from notifying us, we will extend the time periods.
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Is Breast Milk Formula And Juice Exempt From The 3
Formula, breast milk, juice in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters are allowed in carry-on baggage and do not need to fit within a quart-sized bag. Remove these items from your carry-on bag to be screened separately from the rest of your belongings. You do not need to travel with your child to bring breast milk. Breast milk and formula are considered medically necessary liquids. This also applies to breast milk pumping equipment .
Ice packs, freezer packs, frozen gel packs and other accessories required to cool formula, breast milk and juice – regardless of the presence of breast milk – are allowed in carry-on. If these accessories are partially frozen or slushy, they are subject to the same screening as described above. You may also bring gel or liquid-filled teethers, canned, jarred and processed baby food in carry-on baggage. These items may be subject to additional screening.
Getting A New Social Security Number Is Probably Not A Good Idea
Victims of identity theft sometimes want to change their Social Security number. The Social Security Administration very rarely allows this. In fact, there are drawbacks to changing your number. It could result in losing your credit history, your academic records, and your professional degrees. The absence of any credit history under the new SSN would make it difficult for you to get credit, rent an apartment, or open a bank account.
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What Kinds Of Issues Can Social Security Customer Support Resolve
Social Security customer service representatives can answer a wide range of questions regarding Social Security programs as well as some questions about your account, benefits and claim status. The representative can also guide you toward the forms that you will need to initiate processes that canât be completed over the phone.
Suspending Or Canceling Your Card
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Getting Help In Person
You can apply for any type of benefit, get forms and information, and get help with Social Security issues in person at one of the more than 1,200 SSA field offices.
Social Security offices shut down in March 2020 and for most of the pandemic provided in-person service by appointment only and just for select situations involving urgent benefit issues or Social Security numbers.
While walk-in service resumed April 7, Social Security recommends scheduling your visit in advance. If you visit a field office without an appointment, the SSA says to expect long lines, especially at typically busy times, like Mondays, the day after a federal holiday and during the first week of the month.
A small number of field offices may continue to provide appointment-only service due to construction, inability to accommodate people waiting outside the office or other reasons. Check Social Security’s office closings and emergencies page for an up-to-date list.
Keep in mind
- You must complete a self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms before entering a Social Security office and wear a mask during your visit.
- You may be asked to wait outside due to limited office space, so plan for the weather.
- If you need help with your visit because of a language barrier, disability or other issue, you may bring one adult for assistance. Otherwise, the SSA asks that you come alone .
How To Get A Social Security Card
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Social Security Administration Needs Boost In Continuing Resolution To Avoid Customer Service Crisis
Customer service delays at the Social Security Administration are causing serious problems for applicants and beneficiaries, who are enduring record-long waits for disability decisions, long hold times on the agencys 800 number, and other problems stemming from a decade of austere administrative funding and compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. These delays cause significant stress and financial hardship, and backlogs will continue to grow unless policymakers act. Congress should use the upcoming temporary government funding measure to begin fixing this situation, by including anomaly language proposed by the Biden Administration to increase that legislations funding for SSA.
Without such relief, people will wait even longer to get their benefits and to receive assistance from SSA staff, as the agency loses thousands more staff and cant make do with remaining staff given the needed cuts to overtime.
Because no appropriations bills have been enacted for fiscal year 2023, which begins October 1, Congress will have to pass a stopgap funding measure known as a continuing resolution to prevent a partial shutdown of agencies, including SSA, that are funded through annual appropriations. CRs generally continue funding at the spending rate and conditions set in the prior years appropriations bill. Amounts spent under a CR are charged to the regular full-year appropriation once it is enacted.
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What Can Someone Do With Your Social Security Number
Your SSN is one of the most important pieces of personal informationâif not the most importantâthat you’ll ever have. That’s why it’s so important that you keep it confidential. Someone who has your SSN can use it to impersonate you, obtain credit and open bank accounts, apply for jobs, steal your tax refunds, get medical treatment, and steal your government benefits.
Less Money Less Staff
As with most things, customer service issues are tied in large part to money. Since 2010, the SSAs operating budget set each year by Congress has declined by 13 percent and its staff by 12 percent, while the number of Social Security beneficiaries has increased 22 percent, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Its a customer service agency, and you need money for that, says Kathleen Romig, a CBPP senior policy analyst who authored the analysis . The more people you have to take claims and answer questions, the more quickly and accurately it gets done. Staffing has declined precisely as much as the funding because thats where the money goes.
In 2010, the SSA had over 67,000 full-time employees. By 2021, there were fewer than 59,000. An SSA spokesperson noted that the agency experienced many years where we received less than the annual Presidents Budget request. The SSA has authorized about 6,000 hires in fiscal year 2021 for its front line components, but having enough warm bodies is only part of the solution. Staff need extensive training to decipher the agencys highly complex rules and regulations, and to coax accurate results from its antiquated computer systems, which in some cases are more than 35 years old.
Theyre doing the best they can, says Franklin. its a mess.
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Email Our Support Team
Social Security cannot answer questions about economic impact payments under the recently enacted law, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. Treasury, not Social Security, will be making direct payments to eligible people. For more information, visit www.irs.gov/coronavirus.
Many of our services are now available online, like applying for Social Security benefits, requesting a replacement Social Security card, getting your Social Security Statement, and benefit verification letter.
You can also look for answers to your questions on our Frequently Asked Questions page.
We realize that each persons situation is unique. While we are unable to answer questions in this forum that require access to your personal information, such as benefits you may be entitled to, we care. Please toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance. Representatives are available between 8a.m. and 7p.m., Monday through Friday. For the location and other information about your local Social Security office, use our locator.
If you cannot find your answer online and do not have a question about your personal situation, complete the form below to send us an email. Please do not include Social Security numbers in your message.
We are experiencing high volumes of email and may not be able to respond to your inquiry promptly. We appreciate your patience.
Thank you!
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How Social Security Numbers Work
With very few exceptions, all U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary or working residents have a Social Security number. Even non-working residents can obtain an SSN, due to its use by businesses and government entities.
The legal framework for assigning a Social Security number is provided under Section 205 of the Social Security Act . Social Security numbers and cards are issued by the Social Security Administration .
Social Security numbers are now random streams of digits. However, prior to 2011, the numbers had specific purposes. In those years, the first three digits represented the area in which the individual was born or was from. The next pair of numbers was originally slated to represent a year or month of birth.
Due to concern that this could be falsified, the Social Security Administration instead voted to have it represent a group number. Thus far, no Social Security Numbers have been reused, though there have been some cases in which two people were issued the same number.
Scammers are everywhere, so it’s important that you keep your information safe and secure. You can avoid scams and report them directly to authorities through the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
What Is A Social Security Card
Your Social Security card is an important piece of identification. You’ll need one to get a job, collect Social Security, or receive other government benefits.
When you apply for a Social Security number , the Social Security Administration will assign you a nine-digit number. This is the same number that is printed on the Social Security card that SSA will issue you. If you change your name, you will need to get a corrected card.
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