You might want to make sure on Monday nothing changes.
Around the country, Americans are getting ready to come to any local Social Security office after the weekend — to apply for benefits, to fix their paperwork, or to get information about delayed checks. But there’s something that a lot of them still don’t know:
On the coming Monday, May 26, every social security office across the USA will be closed and the news about it is not widespread.
If you were going to stop by a place, you are already late now. The unforeseen stoppage can even disrupt your week — especially if you do nothing at the moment.
The Office Will Be Empty On May 26th – The Policy.
The cause is a straightforward issue no one pays attention to – Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, marks a federal holiday, and hence, all Social Security offices are closed for the day.
All office locations will operate in an appointment-free, telephone-free, and visit-free manner, with no exceptions made. The Social Security Administration (SSA) suspends all in-person services on a federal holiday, and naturally, the Memorial Day is a primary example.
However, it’s not the holiday alone that creates the incumbrance — it’s the result of it as well.
Backlog Is Here, and It’s In אווThe Back
A considerable part of US citizens waits for in-person assistance from the SSA — especially the elderly, the disabled, and those with low income. When the office of the Federal Government is closed for one day, it goes without saying that things will not back to the beginning.
Thus, on Tuesday, expect the reloading of the cubicles with long lines, a good record-breaking time on hold, and delayed appointments. In case you were waiting for assistance, now the waiting time started from the zero point.
Will Your Payment Be Delayed as Well?
Well, no payments are delayed due to the holiday. That seems to be ground for optimism.
Since the SSA has never scheduled benefit payments on weekends or federal holidays, the payments will still be made on time even if the offices are closed, with a margin of either before or after the 26th.
Calendar of payments for May and the beginning of June:
- May 21 – SSDI for the birthdays 11–20
- May 28 – SSDI for the birthdays 21–31
- May 30 – Early SSI for June (since June 1 is a Sunday)
Actually, the check is not the difficulty — it’s the waiting to get a representative to help you with your account that delays.
What You Can Still Do on Memorial Day
Heading to an SSA office or trying to get in touch with someone by phone on May 26 will not succeed — stay at home, however, is the message. However, the SSA’s internet-based access platform is in operation twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. By clicking on ssa.gov/onlineservices you can:
- Lodge an application for retirement or disability
- Request a replacement Social Security card
- Check your benefits or file an appeal of your rejection
- Keep track of your payment history
- Request a certified copy of your official documents
If you have not yet created your My Social Security account, you should consider doing it now. It will take you only a few minutes in case of necessity and will probably prevent you from ever needing to go the local office route.
Thinking of Going Tuesday? Think Again
Even though the offices will be open on Tuesday, May 27, that day will probably be one of the busiest of the month. It is likely that everyone who missed Monday will come then, all at the same time both physically and via phone.
The foremost thing you should do to avoid such a scenario is to:
- Make use of online services
- Call the customer service for 24 hours in advance for an appointment: 1-800-772-1213
- If possible, reschedule your visit for some other time later in the week
Don’t Be the One Who Shows Up to Locked Doors
The denial of services by the SSA on Monday is not a surprise anymore. But still, you’d wonder how many people are unaware of it happening. People who had no idea about the situation would add up even more. Are you willing to go to a government waiting room that may take hours on Tuesday when you can solve it online in just five minutes today after checking the office calendar?
