SSI Toll Free Number Hours Changing, Benefits Still Arriving On Time

By Benjamin Cox on March 31, 2020 at 4:13pm

The Social Security Administration says that people will continue to get their SSI benefit payments on time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security, has also asked SSI benefit recipients to be aware of scammers who try to take advantage of the pandemic to trick people into providing personal information or payment via retail gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or by mailing cash, to maintain Social Security benefit payments or receive economic impact payments from the Department of the Treasury.

Saul said that many scammers are trying to trick SSI recipients into believing that their payments are stopping or somehow changing because of the pandemic.

Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth said today that all SSI benefit recipients will be eligible for the $1200 economic impact payments under the recently enacted law, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or “CARES Act.” The Department of Treasury will soon be providing information to all citizens of the United States about how those payments will be disbursed soon. Senator Duckworth has urged anyone who has not filed taxes for 2018 and 2019 to file a waiver with a tax preparation service and get it done immediately to be eligible for the payments, especially those who are SSI benefit recipients. The Social Security Administration does not have any information on the payments and are urging people to contact their local Congressional representative for more information.

The Social Security Administration is asking the public to direct any questions about SSI benefits to its online self-service options whenever possible. People can find their local field office phone number by accessing the Field Office Locator on SSA.gov if they do not have Internet access. To allow available agents to provide better phone coverage, the agency is temporarily changing the National 800 Number hours starting today. The hours will change from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time to 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. local time. The agency is experiencing longer than normal wait times on the 800 Number and asks the public to remain patient during this heavy period of questions.