OT: Shut down the %#@*& government

[norminn]

I sent paperwork to Soc. Security to effect an important change in my status. Mailed on November 9, 2010. Waited a long time, decided to phone them (I'm an hour from the SS branch)...dialed the nationwide phone #, sorry, we have no record of receiving it. That, about 3 weeks ago. About 10 days ago, dialed the number for the branch office to which I mailed paper sufficient for someone to steal my identity if it fell into wrong hands...disconnected the first time I dialed, after punching in all the stuff the robot asked for. Dialed again, repeated the process and reached a human. She was confused as to which person of the same name I was, although my middle initial was different and I had punched in my damn SS number before reaching her. She was nice. Took my number and promised a call back by the next day..."the system is down" so she could not look at my record. I asked whether my paperwork might have been at the office since November and not been acted on....she sort of admitted that was possible. I didn't get the promised phone call, but did get her name. Yesterday, the mailman brought my paperwork back, along with the form letter advising they want a picture ID. If it quits snowing, I'll bring them my picture ID, although they should know by what I submitted that I am who I claim to be.

[Don Phillipson]

As narrated, this suggests

1. High praise for the US postal service, which returned intact an undelivered (but unregistered) item.
2. Blame for the US SS system, which did not document its requirement of a photograph.

[Frank]

Filing for SS with the local city office was a horrible experience. There was armed security at the door and you went through a scanner. Clerk was dumber than dirt and gave me a hard time about my part time earnings being too high and failed to understand that I could earn what I wanted and either pay back or keep at minimum. I could have driven 5 miles further to a better office and not put up with the crap.

Then years before, when my father died, I called SS to tell them and just gave them his SS number to stop money accumulating in his account and me having to send it back and that was all that was required was his SS number. No other proof. Think of the mischief you could cause if you had someones SS number.

[Percival P. Cassidy]

No problem at all when visiting my local SS office.

Perce

[norminn]

Nooooooooo...the documents that I mailed were delivered. They were mailed back to me after almost four months with the form letter requesting other documents. I have no problems with the USPS, other than the tons of junk mail they deliver...I mailed the original material at the local PO, had them affix the postage, just to be sure they got a proper send-off :o)

[Country]

So, who are you?

-C-

[gfretwell]

I filed for my SS online. No problems at all. ... and to all of those people who have been warning me all these years, NO I did not have to show anyone my SS card that I lost in

1963. All they wanted was my DD214. I never sent any copies of any photo ID.

[mm]

What were you submitting paperwork for? When I was old enough and submitted my claim for social security, I did it online with no problems at all. The software was well written, displayed a summary page of the answers I'd given, enabled me to go back and change any answer I gave, and none of the questions were hard anyhow.

It didn't require any picture ID.

There is security at most federal buildings lately. Do you blame them?

I too lost my soc sec card about 30 years ago, and I didnt' need one to file for soc. sec, but I did for some other reason I forget now. I went to the national office of soc. sec. which is in Baltimore on Security Bouldevard, a street a couple miles long named after it. I had to get a pass in the lobby and could only go to one room, where they told me they don't do that there, and they gave me the address of an office about 2 miles in the other direction, where I waited 5 or 10 minutes, handed in a form, and got the card in the mail soon after.

I had allowed my passport to expire, and then lost my wallet, so I had nothing current. The driver's license people wouldn't accept my previous (expired) photo-id driver's license as proof it was I. It was hard to figure out the right order to replace these things, but if the passport had been valid, it would have been much much easier. I think someone wanted to see the SocSec card, but SocSec itself did not.

This is why in some places one can no longer cancel utilities with a simple phone call. People were cancelling others' utillities for revenge, and why mailing lists send you an email to make sure you really signed up for the list. Trouble-makers cause inconvenience and expense for all of us.

[Frank]

I got it done but the clerk was a PITA. Friends had told me that experience would be more pleasant if I had gone to office over the state line. You do not need to deal with local office. The city office I had gone to looked like all the people were applying for welfare. I heard that

40% of SS goes to widows, orphans and disabled.

I'm reminded of 55 year old on SS disability that went bow hunting, climbed tree with climbing tree stand, shot a deer, went and got his cart and hauled it out to take home and hang, went back hunting and got a 2nd deer took it home and butchered both. Poor guy had to go on SS disability because of bad back. Oh, and by the way, he has a green card but is not a citizen ;)

[norminn]

I mis-stated - they want a document (drivers lic.) that shows my birthdate. I had sent an official copy of divorce decree, which gives my married name and name change. Their records should show the post-divorce name, which was same as prior to my marriage. Gotta be careful of the sequence that one does these things...s'posed to get a drivers lic. in the state where I now reside within 3 mos, but don't dare do that or my bank records will differ from ID. Bank wants new driv. lic. for proof of name change, but I don't want to change the bank until SS is changed. Driver license wants divorce decree and one or two other items, such as utility bill, for proof of addy and name. Is this what is meant by going in circles? :o)

[gfretwell]

The Real ID law will certainly make that more popular. Simply to RENEW you driver's license when you convert to real ID you need a copy of every marriage certificate and divorce decree if you had a name change. As long as your DL matches your birth certificate you are good to go. Men who have not changed their name do a normal renewal. (picture, eye test and now a thumb print)

[SteveB]

I was permanently totally disabled in Oct, 2004, or thereabouts. I filed the SS papers. Each year, they sent me a 1099 for the monies they SHOULD have been sending me, plus a tax bill. When I would ask for an accounting, they sent me a sheet that looks like that text you get when you convert a binary to text. All little squiggles, squares, and gobbledygook. And when you call them, you get someone in a yurt in Kazakhstan. It took me a very very very very long time to get it all straightened out, and I would have never gotten it straight had it not been for a friend who has a relative in the local office. FINALLY, I got checks to make it right. About $54,000. How many people would have quit fighting them or died in the process? Quite a few by my estimation.

Write down every phone call and letter and who you talked to.

Good luck.

SteveB

Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Download the book $10

[SteveB]

wrote

I still got my original paper one, gotten about 1960. The one that says "NOT TO BE USED FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES". Then I laminated it, and was told it was no longer legal. Shit, they give you a piece of paper, and it's supposed to last a lifetime.

Steve

[SteveB]

There's a couple of other circular terms that come to mind ...........

SteveB

Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Download the book $10

[RonB]

Ditto Here. The Pittsburg, Kansas SS office was more than accommodating and professional. In fact they lined us up with a young lady that specialized in self-employment issues who explained my options well. They have been quick in getting some minor changes implemented.

HOWEVER, My dad was under the Railroad Retirement / SS system years ago. He was warned to begin the process at least a year early because it would, without doubt, be screwed up. Good advice. After nearly a year a friend who worked veterans benefits for the VA put them in touch with a rep from Senator Dole's office. A letter under the senator's name fixed the problem quickly. This was when Dole was heading into the presidential race.

From what I hear RR retirement is still screwed.

RonB

[norminn]

I've hung onto my original, too. Laminated mine, as well, although I think that's against the law :o)

[norminn]

I've never had a problem making the normal changes to my record...they started payin' me with much more ease than making the change for life event. Gov't has little issue with sending money :o)

[Higgs Boson]

Having read all of the replies, I'd like to repeat what I have said before on this and other fora: Use your elected officials to get results in situations like this! They LOVE to do "constituent services" =3D votes, in their minds. Why waste your time and energy?

How many NG members actually KNOW who is their Member of Congress or Senator? Or their State representatives? Trust me, a polite call/ letter/email to them brings RESULTS. They would have had your matter taken care of before breakfast. You pay your elected reps; put them to work for you. I have done this successfully on several matters (unconnected with SS).

That said, I personally have never had problems with local SS, and am sorry about your long delays.

HB

[Vic Smith]

LOL. So true. I didn't bother posting my SS experience - no problems at all. Just don't like commies calling me a socialist. But you forgot something. None of the politicians are talking about stopping the SS for these old farts. So they got theirs. Fuck everybody else. My wife has been on her feet all day cooking for 28 years. Lugging around 5 gallon kettles of soup, cutting so much meat and veggies that she gets occasional nerve pain. Making not even double minimum wage. But she's fit and still likes to work. There's millions of workers like her out there. She was looking forward to retiring after 14 more years, at 62. Personally, I don't think she can go that long doing what she's doing. Think she'll get a measly $800-900 SS check. Now you got these fat-ass millionaire politicians and those that vote them in saying she'll have to work until 70 for that. Hear them and the wealthy talking heads saying that every day. That's ok though. They already got theirs. Yep. Real funny.

--Vic

[SteveB]

"Bob F" wrote

In my case, I was only trying to get my own money back. Took nearly four years.

Steve