Despite Office Closures, SSA Must Assist Individuals Applying for Benefits

From Justice in Aging

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a vital benefit for low-income older adults and people with disabilities who would otherwise be unable to meet basic needs. Unfortunately, with the closure of Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a sharp decline in the number of people applying for SSI benefits, particularly among older adults and people with limited English proficiency. The Senate Finance Committee recently held a hearing to discuss how the pandemic, and the closure of SSA field offices, has hampered access to benefits for many. 

Despite these field office closures and reduced operations, SSA still has a duty to assist individuals who wish to apply for benefits. A new blog we wrote for SSA highlights how individuals can reach SSA to apply for SSI by telephone, as well as how to request an in-person appointment. For certain individuals who need in-person assistance to apply for or maintain benefits, the agency is supposed to be scheduling “dire need” appointments. These limited in-person appointments may be available for people in critical situations who are without food or shelter, including utilities, or are without medical care or coverage and need to apply for or reinstate benefits. Limited, in-person appointments may also be available for those who currently receive benefits from SSA and have an urgent need for a payment to meet expenses for food, shelter, or medical treatment, and they cannot receive the payment electronically.

It is critical that SSA provides support and services to older adults and others who rely on these vital benefits. SSA must think innovatively about how it operates to ensure that all individuals truly have access to the programs and benefits for which they are eligible. Congress also needs to significantly increase funding to the agency to support these changes and make them a reality. While the pandemic has highlighted longstanding problems that undermine SSA’s capacity to assist those most in need, we have an opportunity to turn these problems around.