Customer service had been a significant issue at Social Security even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the agency to close its doors to the public in March of 2020. Now that Social Security has opened offices back up the customer service issue is still a problem with many Social Security offices seeing long lines for service and extremely long wait times for service by phone. Disability advocates are asking Congress to act to improve customer service at Social Security.
In testimony from Bethany Lilly, who testified before a House Committee on behalf of the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Social Security Task Force, Lilly identified three customer service-related issues at Social Security that need to be addressed. Lilly testified how important satisfactory customer service is for people who suffer from disabilities. Many disabled individuals suffer from mental health and intellectual impairments, which can make the disability process even more overwhelming without proper customer service assistance. Lilly also identified the agency’s phone and online services as something that needs to be addressed as online and phone service during, and even before the pandemic, were not acceptable. Other issues Lilly addressed in her testimony include the agency’s need to ensure that Social Security gets back to providing acceptable walk-in service at an Social Security offices around the country without an appointment and urged Congress to address the backlog of cases the agency is dealing with.
These are extremely important topics that need to be addressed, but Lilly understood the challenges of improving customer service at Social Security without increased funding. “Since 2010, SSA’s operating budget has fallen 14 percent, with an associated drop in staffing of 13 percent. During the same time period, the number of Social Security beneficiaries has grown by 21 percent,” Lilly testified. The lack of funding and staffing shortages have made the customer service problem even more visible.
The fact remains that Social Security benefits are crucial to the survival of millions of people across the country. Lilly testified that the 2021 Annual Statistical Supplement reported that just under 65 million people receive Social Security benefits of some kind, including close to 10 million who receive disability benefits. The benefits that these millions of Americans receive are extremely modest. The average monthly disability payment in 2021 was $1,143 per month. Although benefits are modest, they are also desperately needed by millions of Americans to survive and stay above the poverty level.
