Recently the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advised that mask mandates are no longer necessary for people who have been fully vaccinated for the COID-19 virus. In response President Joe Biden lifted the mandate for people who are fully vaccinated, which begs the question when will Social Security offices open again?
For more than 14 months Social Security offices have been closed to the public, with a few exceptions for people who obtained scheduled appointments for critical needs, which has led to many people being unable to obtain services. Social Security has maintained online services and has tried to assist customers with phone service, but due to the amount of service needed, not everyone has been able to be assisted. In a message sent to Social Security employees May 17, the agency indicated it will provide an update about its future soon. Below is the message as printed by the Federal News Network.
“You may have seen the recent update from the CDC about people who are fully vaccinated,” the email, which Federal News Network obtained, reads. “As we have said all along, we will continue to follow government-wide and CDC guidance. We are getting additional information from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force and will update you as soon as possible about changes. We will also meet all applicable labor obligations.”
We should expect to hear something from Social Security about reopening soon. It is important for Social Security to take steps to keep its employees and customers safe due to the pandemic, but the closure of Social Security offices for over a year has created an inability for many to apply for benefits that they desperately need. We should and need to hear from Social Security in the coming days about its plan to open offices back up for in-office service.
