BILLINGS - If you've ever tried to call a Social Security office and ended up on hold for a long time, you're not alone and it could get worse. Almost 18 percent of Montanans receive a check from social security. There are only seven field offices and a few other smaller offices to handle all of those people. And many of those offices only have one or maybe two people answering the phone. So you can imagine how difficult it can be to talk to a real person when calling a local social security office. If one person calls, the phone line could be tied up for a while.
But before you head to the office to see someone in person, Andrew Hudson, Public Affairs Specialist for Montana's Social Security says, "Usually towards the end of the week is less busy the first ten days of the month are a little bit hectic but again most of the reasons people would come into the office they can get done online."
On the website Hudson says you can find everything from retirement and disability applications to requests for Medicare card replacements. You can access the Social Security website by going to our website kulr8.com and clicking on connections. And Hudson says you can also call the Social Security's one eight hundred number at 1-800-772-1213.
But if you still need to call the local office Hudson says have some patience because with baby boomers starting to retire he says nationwide they expect to handle 10,000 more phone calls and office visits a day.
Thanks to Peggy Gutierrez for that question. If you have a question you'd like us to answer e-mail it to us at news@kulr.com and we'll let you know What's Up With That.