Issue 47.11
It’s the holiday season. That means time to do the holiday shopping, prepare the festive dinner, decorate the house, invite the guests, wrap the gifts, write and send the holiday greetings. Not to mention, it also means the usual time-consumers, like working, taking care of the family, and doing all of the daily chores.
There’s a lot to do during the holiday season. Probably the last thing on your list is spending precious time at a Social Security office (or on the phone) waiting to conduct business — especially if you don’t need to. However, if contacting Social Security is something you need to do during the holiday rush, let us give you some tips on the best way to save yourself some time and still get your business done.
The busiest times for Social Security field offices and the agency’s toll free telephone number are early in the week and early in the month. So if your business can wait, it’s best to contact us at other times. The same is true during the holiday season — especially the week between Christmas and New Year’s. If you must do business with Social Security during the holidays, you may experience more busy signals on the telephone and longer wait times in local offices.
There’s an even better way to conduct your business: online at www.socialsecurity.gov. There you’ll find a wealth of information and online services. For example, you can apply online for Social Security benefits or for Medicare, and then you can check on the status of your pending application. If you already receive Social Security benefits, you can go online to change your address, phone number, or your direct deposit information, get a replacement Medicare card, or request a proof of income letter.
Visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov and save yourself a call or a trip to our office. It’s fast, easy, and secure to conduct your business with Social Security online.
But if you do need to speak to a Social Security representative one-on-one, we’ll be there for you. Call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit your local Social Security office.