Earlier this year the Senate Special Committee on Aging reported that Social Security closed more than 20 local field offices within the last year thus reducing access to retirement and disability services the agency provides. Many other organizations picked-up on this story and suggested this was a master plan by Social Security to, in the future, close even more offices and even farm out some of its responsibilities to private sector entities.
This is a case where the cart is appearing clearly before the horse.
Social Security had never indicated that it will conduct mass closings of even more field offices and there has been no credible evidence that Social Security has any plans to contract with private sector entities to conduct some of its services.
Social Security had previously indicated that the closes are consistent with a change in how Americans access services from the federal agency and just maybe, there is not a need for as many field offices across the country as their used to be.
Everyone wants to talk about bloated government and wasted tax dollars, but when actions are taken to address something like that a panic is unleashed and news stories start floating that Social Security may soon cease to exist.
Social Security isn’t going anywhere and it is a fact that more people are applying and accessing information about benefits online or over the phone than ever before. A deputy commissioner of Social Security reported in 2013 that the agency received “nearly half of all Social Security retirement and disability applications online and the percentage of people who choose to file online continue to grow.”
The increase in technological use correlates with Social Security’s office closings and should not setoff mass hysteria. Think on this subject another way. People certainly don’t write letters like they used to, but they have not stopped communicating. Letters have been replaced by more e-mails and text messages. Are there fears that no one will ever write and send a letter or postcard any longer?
It is true that some people, including many seniors or people who are living in poverty, lack technology to do their business with Social Security online, but they have other outlets. For most people living in a metropolitan area, there remains local field offices open and ready to do business. For those who lack the ability to get to one of these offices, Social Security can still be reached directly by telephone or through the agency’s national 1-800 number (800-772-1213).
Every industry is trying to adapt and offer services in a faster, more efficient manner through the use of technology, why should government services be any different? In fact, we should demand this of government. So before we have a “sky is falling mentality” lets take a step back and see what sort of impact the closing of field offices really has before we jump to conclusions.
There will always be a need for Social Security field offices and many of them will remain in existence for a long time to come, but the changing demographics and the availability of technology has required all of us to change the way we do business, so Social Security should not be criticized for trying to climb out of the 20th Century.
