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Social Security Administration

Lillian of Charlotte, NC October 26, 2009

Receive disability and was not made aware for 4 0r 5 years that I was going over monthly amount, however, I was not going over annual amount as I understood to be the rule. SSD should have an orientation in place for all new recepients of benefits to ensure benefits are explained and acknowledged. Now I have to pay back 28,000 from an already strained budget.

Emily of Guttenberg, NJ October 9, 2009

My check for the month of September was not deposited in my account as it has been for the past few years. I called Social Security and the woman I spoke with was very abrupt and did not answer my concerns about why my check was sent to a bank in Florida. I have never requested, sign or have an account in the state of Florida. She instead, hung up the phone. I had to do my own research to locate my check.

My check was to be deposited on September 23 and it is now October 9th and I still have not received my check. I depend on this money to pay my bills, Eat, and travel. I have not even received an apoligie from SS. This is truly an injustice to Seniors who have worked so hard to earn this money. I had to borrow from friends to pay my bills I hope you can rectified this situation so that this does not happen again to myself and to others who rely on this check.

Ken of Superior, AZ October 5, 2009

Why hasn't there been any outcry about Social Security recipients not getting a COLA this year? For years, the COLA has risen in double digits and senior citizens got only 2.4% raise. Now, the government is saying we won't get any. The cost of living will continue to rise, my rent will go up, utilities will go up, and medicines will go up, but my income won't.

I just barely make ends meet today, and I don't know how I will next year at all. Why are they taking it out on the poorest secment of society? For 50+ years, I was forced to pay out 1/3 of every paycheck which was supposed to take care of me after retirement. It doesn't come close.

Linda of Norfolk, VA September 24, 2009

My father passed away on June 13, 2009. My mother (age 89) is unable to appear on her own behalf so I did this for her at the Social Security Administration office in Norfolk on July 23, 2009. I applied and was approved as a Payor so I could act on mother's behalf. I applied for her lump sum widow's benefit of 255, and for her share of dad's Social Security under widow's benefits. Thus far, I have gotten absolutely no status reports as to the progress. Mom is only receiving her own social security which is extremely nominal so I am having to use her reserves to pay her caretakers, nurses, utilities, etc. When I call the office, I am told I have to talk to Ms. B, the person who is handling the claim. I leave messages but she never returns the calls. When I phoned the main Social Security number (800 toll #) I get this sad but true story about how everyone is so overwhelmed, yada yada! This is no excuse for not having claims timely handled. The agent also told me some people's claims are so old and not yet handled that they are having to deal with having their utilities cutoff, and all sorts of difficulties because of this inefficiency. I am a hard working tax payer, like both my parents. I am very discouraged and disappointed in the manner in which social security is treating my mother. My father was a WWII veteran, 100% disabled, who plucked his comrades from the ocean when their carrier was attacked by the Japanese and he definitely paid his dues. Why is my mother being treated so wrongly by our government. If I am not doing my job where I work and didn't return calls or handle my business, I'd be immediately dismissed. Why is this happening at thesocial security administration. Where are our tax dollars going if not helping our own people. If they are short handed, then hire people for pete's sakes?

rose of clinton twp, MI September 20, 2009

i have been waiting almost 6 months now for back payment and everytime i call i never get any return phone calls back. finally when i did talk to him he said he was sorry its taking so long but he had 3 people ahead of me and it should be within the week well its been almost 3 more weeks and nothing! i started receiving my monthly benifits in june of this year but none of my back pay and it was approved in april.i also called the main 1 800 number and they said they show nothing as being filed and dont understand themselves why its taken so long. they have 2 times sent an e mail for mr. c to call me in regards to this and i never got any calls from him nor anyone else at this office.untill i called and finally as i said got to talk to him and said what he said as i mentioned. thank you for your time.

my food stamps were cut off and now r cut back due to my receiving ssi i also have back childsupport to pay plus i owe my attorney for their fees in obtaining my medical records in order to win my case for me.also, i have to have repairs done to my only means of transportaion in order to continue going to my medical appointments.

Melinda of West Linn, OR September 16, 2009

I received a phone call from the social security office almost 5 months ago. They told me they had just come across my file and I should have received payment 12 years ago from my fathers retirement benefits. I am glad they found it because I had no clue, but 12 years. I have an account with the department of revenue I can't get paid off and the interest is outrageous. So a government workers makes a mistake and were not suppose to get interest?

Anyway, 5 months and I still have not received my check. I can't get a call back now and everytime I call the main line I get a different story or answer. I have even been told twice that they couldn't find me in the computer and eventually did. I have just become so frusterated and don't know what I can do to resolve this.

Dena of Neosho, MO September 6, 2009

Most of the time that I contact the SSA to try to find out what is going on with my disability backpay I get treated terrible, I was even hung up on the last time I tried to get information. They should not treat people like they do, we are entitled to call and ask questions concerning our Social Security, and if we do not understand what they are saying then they should explain it in a friendly and cordial manner. Something needs to be done about this issue. The last time i called I placed the phone on speaker so that my aunt could hear and she was appalled at the way I was treated and talked to and then I was hung up on.

Mary of Jacksonville, FL August 5, 2009

I called the 1-800 call center for social security regarding my commencement of Social Security Benefits on August 5, 2009and talked to a lady named Lisa regarding the time frame on my benefits. I had applied for benefits on June 21, 2009. She could find no reason that I should not have been proccessed and ask me to call my local office to find out why they had not forwarded the paperwork for processing. I first called and reached a voice mail in Albany New York and left a name and message, but did not feel comfortable about reach another state so I called back. On the second call Ms. Lebron answered the phone and told me that there was a customer ahead of me to hold.

I did, it seemed like forever, there was no way that I could tell whether the line had gone dead or not, so I finally hung up. The call was around noon. I called back three more times and just got a busy signal. Finally, my calls just rang continously for the next 45 minutes. Finally, Ms. Lebron answered again and attempted to assist me but told me that a claims representative would have to call me back. She agreed that she saw no reason for me not to be proceessed. I questioned her as to whether the social security office was closed during lunch and she told me that someone was suppose to answer the phones.

Near the end of the day, I called back, and got a message to leave another message and someone would return my call within THREE days. My question is, what kind of service is this from our local office in St. Augustine? Is this protocal? This may be an example of the worst customer service in history. This is a federal office, not a private business, phones should be answered during Federal Business hours. This is too much stress for the average senior.

Vicky of Chesapeake, VA July 2, 2009

My child's father was approved for total disability. He has a representative payee. I called in May when I found out that he was approved and made an appt to take my daughter to our local office to file a claim on her behalf being that she was still in high school. While making the appt via phone, the SSA rep noticed that the rep payee who lives in NC along with my child's father, had started a claim on my child's behalf but it was not processed yet because she had to prove that she had custody of my daughter. I told them that I have always had custody of my daughter and that we lived 3 hours away.

they made an appt for June 10th 2009 for me to go to the Norfolk VA office and file a claim. They ask me to take all my proof and I did including my daughter herself. After filling out all the paperwork, almost at the end of the session, the SSA rep that we saw in the Norfolk office told me that a check went out on MAy 26th to the rep payee in NC..I asked the question how when she had to prove that she had custody. How when she is paying child support to me for my daughter on behalf of her brother?

I filed a fraud claim on the 11th of June; however, I have not heard anything as of yet. I wonder I have a case against SSA for sending the check out to the wrong payee and not verifying custodial information which includes school records and everything. My child has been attending high school the last 4 years in Chesapeake Va not NC. Do I have a case? Please advise

Shannon of Augusta, GA June 26, 2009

I called to speak with someone about having my daughter's Social Security Benefit deposited into my new bank account from the "joint" account I and my husband have that I closed. The guy I spoke with proceeded to tell me how he couldn't move money from that account since my husband was on it, to yea that he could move it, but not deposit it into an account that had both of our names on it, to he could do both (in other words he was wrong).

After going through all the required information I needed to provide, I had a question. I asked the man if my next check would be mailed or deposited into my new account, and he began chastising me about closing my other account first. First that was not my question, and second I was well aware that there was a possibility of the check returning to them and then being mailed to me. I had no problems with this.

I proceeded to try and ask my question again politely, and before I could get a few words out, he cut me off as if he knew what I was asking about, and started answering a question I was not even asking. After he finished I proceeded to try and ask my question again, and was rudely cut off AGAIN.

This man spoke in a very condescending voice, and he didn't even know what I was asking. This time I cut him off and said, "Excuse me sir, Please let me finish the question"...before I had time to finish that statement he was yelling at me and cursing at me saying, "Are you "f**king through yet"? "Are you!"...I never got an opportunity to ask my question. I can also tell you that I went through about 20 minutes of automated stuff holding for this person, and I got hung up on.

I never got my question answered, and I am VERY concerned that he may mess with the payment he set up for me and cause me financial hardship. I did yell back at him trying to get his attention, but that didn't work. He just kept repeating the above and hung up on me. I can't find anything on the internet or anyone I can contact in regards to this. All I wanted to do was ask a very brief question, and I am not at all long winded.

This is by FAR the worse customer service I have ever experienced! It is very hard to reach someone. After you go through approx. 20 minutes of automated services they will send you to a busy signal usually.

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