A bill is being introduced by Congressman Brian Higgins that supporters say will bring more transparency to the Social Security Administration, as well as more public input in cases of field office closings.Known as the Social Security Accountability Act, the bill would require the Social Security Commissioner to provide annual reports on average wait times and caseloads, including whether backlogs are increasing or decreasing.
It would also require the Social Security Administration to give just cause for closing an office, at least 120 days warning and at least two public hearings.
Last year, the Social Security field office in Amherst was closed. Back in 2008, the Cheektowaga office was shut down. Congressman Higgins says in both cases, there was little warning, no opportunity for public input and no good reason for the offices to close.
"I think there are two issues. One is the closing of offices and the process by which those offices are closed," Higgins said. "I think what we're simply looking for is a fair cost-benefit analysis of the decision making when offices are closed. If the Social Security Administration did that, and there was community input, we think better decisions would be made, and resources would be more efficiently utilized."
Supporters of the bill say Social Security field offices offer a range of services including help with the application process, assistance for Medicare beneficiaries and issuing new Social Security cards.
Although Social Security provides many services online, visits to field offices have increased since 2007, when 42 million people walked through Social Security doors.
"By 2013, when well over half our retirement claims were taken online, 43 million people walked into a Social Security office around the country," said Shawn Halloran, executive vice president of Local 3342, the union representing local Social Security workers. "So the message is obvious. People want to visit their local office to conduct business."
The Social Security Administration's own report, Vision 2025, is anticipating that by 2020, the number of Americans ages 65 and older will increase by eight million. The report, issued this week, goes on to predict that the number of people 65 and older will further increase by 18 million by the year 2030.
Currently, there are only three Social Security field offices in Erie and Niagara Counties, in West Seneca, Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
