More office closings are to come as an alarming trend continues.
The Washington Post recently reported that since 2000, Social Security has closed 125 offices across the country, which amounts to about 10 percent of all Social Security offices.
The agency contends that these closings are due to more Americans accessing Social Security services online, which results in less need for more offices considering Social Security’s ongoing budget constraints. Social Security’s operating budget is less than it was in 2010. There are about 3,500 less Social Security office workers than there were in 2010.
The latest announcement of the closing of the Arlington Virginia Social Security office drew protests May 3 from dozens of concerned residents. Advocates who protested the Arlington closing and future closings Social Security has planned, insist that it will only make things more difficult for the elderly and people who have disabilities that need to access a Social Security office close to them.
“Closing the Arlington office is a shortsighted way to cut costs, and will inflict hardship on people least able to cope with it,” U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia) was quoted in The Washington Post story.
Prior to the announcement of the Arlington office closing, Social Security decided to close an office in Milwaukee. The reason for that closing, according to Social Security, was building maintenance issues and increased crime in the area near the office. Another office closure is slated for Baltimore next month. As these closings continue to occur, not only are residents protesting, but so too are local officials and members of Congress. Wait times at Social Security offices are already unprecedented. When an office closes it means that people who rely on services will have to visit the next closest office, which only promises to increase wait times and overwhelm staff at other locations.
