In recent years Social Security has expanded its online services for people who wish to apply for Social Security retirement or Social Security disability benefits, which many people believe is a good thing that shows progress, but many Social Security employees may disagree.
The American Federation of Government Employees has resisted efforts by the agency to expand to more online services because it may result in Social Security reducing its availability to assist Americans face-to-face at one of its more than 1,200 field offices across the county.
Although Social Security has expanded its online services, it has reduced service hours at field offices and actually reduced the number of field offices in existence. Considering that the number of Social Security beneficiaries is expected to increase by 70 percent over the next 25 yeas as the Baby Boom Generation ages, some are saying Social Security should be expanding in-person services, not reducing them.
“We should be opening new field offices given the number of people who are reaching retirement age,” said Nancy Altman, who works for a Washington-based coalition that advocates for Social Security beneficiaries.
Social Security officials have contended that the agency needs to start providing expanded online services similar to how banks and airlines operate in an effort to cut costs.
“We have to use the technology that’s available to us. We know there are the realities of the budget, and that’s going to require us to continue services in the most efficient manner,” said Carolyn Colvin, Social Security’s acting commissioner.
Social Security’s efforts in expanding online services has allowed beneficiaries who are capable of accessing those services to avoid long wait times to talk to a Social Security employee on the phone or in person and those efforts should continue, but not at the expense of closing field offices. In relation to retirement benefits, many seniors are not familiar with how to access online services or don’t even have Internet access. In addition, many Social Security disability applicants have intellectual impairments that limit their understanding of how to access online services and require them to receive assistance. For these reasons Social Security should not further limit in-person services.
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