All local Social Security offices will be closed to the public for in-person service starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020. According to the Social Security Administration, “This decision protects the population we serve—older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions—and our employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.”
COVID-19 is the official name for the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization, as of March 15, 2020, there are 153,517 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 144 territories and countries. According to Johns Hopkins, the United States has 3,813 confirmed cases.
With offices closed, the agency encourages the public to access services online. You can go online to apply for retirement, disability, and Medicare benefits, check the status of an application or appeal, request a replacement Social Security card, or print a benefit verification letter. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions section.
If you’re working on filing your taxes, you can also get a copy of your annual Benefit Statement online. Your form SSA-1099, Social Security Benefit Statement, or form SSA-1042S, Social Security Benefit Statement (Nonresident Aliens), should land in your mailbox by the end of January. But if you haven’t received your form yet and you live in the United States, you can print a copy. You may not have to pay tax on your benefits, but you’ll need your forms to figure that out.
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If you have questions that cannot be answered online, check the online field office locator to learn how to directly contact your local office for phone service. For automated telephone services, call 1.800.772.1213 (TTY 1.800.325.0778). A list of telephone services is available online.
If you already have an in-office appointment scheduled with the agency, they will call you to handle your appointment over the phone. Additionally, if you have a hearing scheduled, they will call you to discuss alternatives, including offering a hearing by phone. Please note that the call may come from a private number and not from a U.S. Government phone number. There are some scam calls making the rounds, so remember that Social Security employees will not threaten you or ask for any form of payment.
The Social Security Administration is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local governments, and other experts to monitor COVID-19 and advise when they can resume in-person service. You can also visit the Social Security Administration’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page.
