Social Security Field Offices Cut Wednesday Hours, Allsup Reports

Jan. 15, 2013 - PRLog -- Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices began closing to the public at noon on Wednesdays. With less access to assistance from SSA employees, it’s important for disability applicants to consider seeking representation, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security Disability Insurance (https://www.allsup.com/about-ssdi/ssdi-overview.aspx) (SSDI) (https://www.allsup.com/about-ssdi/ssdi-overview.aspx) representation and Medicare plan selection services. The early Wednesday closure follows a November 2012 announcement that field offices would close to the public daily at 3 p.m., which is 30 minutes earlier than previous office hours.

Field offices manage a wide range of responsibilities, one of which is handing SSDI applications. For example, according to the SSA’s Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2012, in addition to processing nearly 3.2 million disability applications, the SSA also handled close to 5 million Medicare, retirement and survivor applications, among many other activities.

“Choosing an SSDI representative like Allsup can prevent applicants from dealing with long lines at field offices and lengthy waits on the telephone,” said Mike Stein, Allsup assistant vice president of claims. “Allsup experts can help determine eligibility, answer questions and develop and submit the claim. There’s no need to contact the local field office, and Allsup will ensure applicants stay informed about each step of the application process.”

SSDI is a federally mandated disability insurance program overseen by the SSA that operates separately from the retirement and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. SSDI provides monthly benefits to individuals who are under full retirement age (age 65 or older) and who can no longer work because of a severe disability that is expected to last for more than 12 months or is terminal. Individuals must have paid FICA taxes to be eligible.

For more information about eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, contact Allsup’s Disability Evaluation Center at (800) 678-3276.

ABOUT ALLSUP
Allsup is a nationwide provider of Social Security disability, veterans disability appeal, Medicare and Medicare Secondary Payer compliance services for individuals, employers and insurance carriers. Founded in 1984, Allsup employs more than 800 professionals who deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. The company is based in Belleville, Ill., near St. Louis. For more information, go to http://www.Allsup.com (https://www.allsup.com/) or visit Allsup on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Allsupinc.

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