(NewsNation) — Getting in contact with Social Security has become easier after the Social Security Administration addressed issues with its phone sharing system.
Earlier this week, NPR reported that some callers were being redirected to staff members without the proper authority to handle their cases.
What did SSA say initially?
The SSA initially denied claims of issues with their phone service and said, “All SSA field offices are equipped to handle inquiries and resolve issues for callers, irrespective of where a caller lives or where their case originated.”
SSA retracts statement
However, on Thursday, the SSA went back on the claim and put out a statement on its website admitting that some employees were encountering difficulties “when answering calls from outside their office’s traditional service area,” which resulted in employees being “unable to fully assist a very small percentage of customers due to system constraints.”
“We recognized that, to serve you better, we needed to ensure our employees had the tools to help every caller, no matter where they are located,” the statement continued.
How was it fixed?
In the statement, the SSA assured there would no longer be problems with calls after implementing an update to its “key workload processing systems.”
“This means that when you reach out to us by phone, you can expect even more consistent and complete service, no matter who answers your call or which office they work in,” the statement continued.
Issues come amid efforts to reduce wait times
The issues with phone service come amid efforts from the SSA to reduce wait times for callers around the country.
“The goal of the phone sharing system is to enhance customer service by reducing wait times and addressing customer needs at the first point of contact,” a spokesperson for the agency told NPR.
The issues with phone service came weeks after reports indicated the SSA was reallocating up to 1,000 employees to teleservice positions to address long wait times, according to an internal union document obtained by Business Insider.
