How do I avoid spending the day in line at the Social Security Administration?

Question

On October 22 I completed a form SS-5 (Request for replacement Social Security Card) and, per instructions, mailed it with my passport enclosed, certified mail, to my local Social Security office.(5TH FLOOR, 237 W 48TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10036 ). My return receipt shows that the package arrived and was signed for by a SSA employee.

Time passes. Now it's a month and a half later - far longer than the 2 week turnaround promised. No response from the SSA. I called their main toll free number and tried to get a current status. No luck; I have to contact my local office. The local office deliberately does not list their phone number.

So now I am left with only one option, the one I wanted to avoid in the first place. I have to take a day off from work and stand in line at the SSA to find out what happened to my application and passport.

Does anyone have a good alternative for me? I don't want to waste a day at the SSA. Thanks!

Ok, lots of answers coming in. Couple of points. I have to go to the EXACT office that I sent the paperwork to (because, presumably, someone has it there!) also it's not as simple as doing the paperwork again - for one thing, they have my passport and I want it back. They have to find my paperwork. I have a feeling this is not going to be fun. Serves me right for trying to do business via mail.

Answer 1

Run for Congress. Once you're a bigwig Congressman, the SSA will bow and scrape before you.

Answer 2

You sound like you are really in a bad way. I would have never done what you did in the first place. Lord knows where your passport is now. If you go there and get your passport back and a new card it will be a miracle. My gut tells me that it is lost or can't be found. I work for the government, I've seen it too many times. You will just have to go there, expect to be there all day too. You may get a new card. Then you can head over to the passport place to get a replacement for the one they lost. Hopefully you will never let anything valuable out of your hands or sight again.

Answer 3

This is a president who RUSHED through an Obamulus plan that would "stop unemployment at 8.5%". WHOOPS! he then jetted off to Chicago for a party, has flown in pizza chefs, eats $100/pound steak, and did a joy ride fly by of New York city for campaign donors to the tune of $350,000+. We must "all make sacrifices" meaning everyone except him and his unlected tyrannical czars. He has financially enslved our kids. He doesn't CARE about where our money goes and what is done with it. He could care less about jobs and recovery. All his actions and policies are testimony to that. Look at Jared. These delusional lib morons can't look past Bush. They kept prediciting the end of the US under Bush, but now that that is truly occuring, all they can do is point backwards to Bush. It's pathetic. It's like talking about the barking dog you passed 3 blocks ago and how bad it was while a tiger is standing in front of you poised to attack. They are completely blind!

Answer 4

I have only been to the SSA once and that was to change my marriage status when I got married. I went on a Tues morning right when they opened. I was there 30 minutes! People tend to do their SSA stuff on Mondays or Fridays.

Answer 5

There are some SS offices that are less busy than others. The wealthy, upper middle class cities are less busy. The poorer cities have more people. I think because people are more dependant on the SS checks. I know this from experience.

Answer 6

the last time i had to go to the SSA i made an appointment for in the morning and i was taken care of right away.

Answer 7

Last time I went, I got there before they opened and stood outside. There were other people there. I knocked them all down and ran inside when they unlocked the door. I was third, did not have the heart to knock down the old people. There is no way to avoid the social security people, they are like the dmv people. Hope it goes well for you. I was kidding about knocking people down, but I did get there early and got number 3. Before I left there were about 50 people there behind me. eww

Answer 8

i think you can get one from other offices. try calling the smallest municipality around and find out where the office is. i am pretty positive u do not have to be a resident of that county or even state for that matter.

Answer 9

Opt out of socialist insecurity in the first place. You've probably already lost every penny you have been forced to "contribute" to this federal revenue enhancement program.

Answer 10

The local office does not list their number???
Check your white pages, is there a 'Government' section?
It's probably in there.
All of my local offices are listed in the "blue pages" section of the white pages.