Phone calls to SSA
 

Hi everyone!

Does anybody know if SSA keeps a log/track of the calls we make to them about our cases? I call once a week, but does it make a difference how many times you call?


Thanks

I am not sure if the SSA keeps a log of the calls they receive but I have heard in the past that the more you haunt them, the less cooperative they may become. SSA has thousands of cases to deal with and calling them too often could hurt one's chances of getting approved.

Yes they know when you call because I would call weekly and I got a gentleman that got all over me when I called. He must of been having a bad day. He told me when I call it keeps them from doing their job and after they look at my file from the phone call they put me at the bottom of the pile. Basically he said to quit calling. I know they have stress but they have no idea the stress we are under as well.

Sometimes records are kept. Sometimes they are not kept. If a record is kept, there are multiple places where those records are kept, not just one place. If you go into the office, your name and SSN and reason for visit are captured in the interview intake program and some of that is sent to other data bases. Bits and pieces of some phone calls are kept, but not in one database.

However, if you call your local office regularly, the 5 or 10 service reps who answer the phones do talk to each other about you. The teleservice reps at the 800# are monitored closely and their phone calls are timed. Once they hang up with you, they have to take the next call. All day long.

If employees are pulled from doing work to answer the phones, then their work gets pushed into the future. It is like a kid asking "Are we there yet?" but the parent has to stop the car in order to answer the question. Doesn't get you there any faster. And if your case does get pushed to the front of the line, that means the rest of the people waiting (like other posters to this web site) get pushed backwards.

Yes, they DO keep records of your calls. When you call them, and you hear the typing in the background, they are pulling your claim, researching, and entering a short note about your call. The "researching" I was referring to is looking at the call notes and history. This prevents them from lying (as their supervisors regularly review these notes) and also prevents them from giving you conflicting information without actually researching it. However, it can ALSO upset them when they see that you have called weekly, and lets just say they will be less than 100% cooperative with you or your attorney when it comes to that.

That is my fear. My wife's attorney has stated to us to call them everyday (her retro-pay is 5 months behind.) We have called once only so far, the attorney has called twice and our congressman has called twice.

Ssa
 

[Hello, and I do know what you are experiencing with SSA. You are on the great merry go round they put you on, to drive you nuts.....This problem of getting in touch with them is a national problem. I could not afford the minutes on my cell, while I waited for them to answer. I had to go back to the lawyer who helped me with my case to get in touch with them. Present yourself in person, with your paperwork and don't take no for an answer. The only way I did resolve my last problem was with a para legal...ginnie

The typing is how they access the various data bases that have information and moving from screen to screen in an attempt to find the answer your question. Some things you say are entered. Much is not. Or, if they take an action, they have to type in the correct code and the supporting evidence. Supervisors do not have time to 'regularly review these notes'. They may review the documentation when a problem arises, but not as a matter of daily review.

Yes, there can be various records that can be researched to figure out how many contacts you have made, but not everything is tracked. But there is no agency directive or plan or system that employees are less than cooperative with the people who call often. It is my experience that the backlogs are so great in all areas of the SSA workloads that most employees want to clear a case rather than listen to yet another phone call complaint.