Comments on: An Object Lesson in Incompetence at the Social Security Administration http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/ Musings of an indignant mind Sun, 20 May 2012 19:23:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Denis http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-105219 Denis Sat, 09 Jan 2010 02:03:31 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-105219 << .... cont In my opinion the Social Security services seriously need improvements. This situation is akin to our bailout of the banks of last year. They borrowed our money at > << …. cont
In my opinion the Social Security services seriously need improvements. This situation is akin to our bailout of the banks of last year. They borrowed our money at >

]]> By: Denis http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-105218 Denis Sat, 09 Jan 2010 02:02:29 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-105218 Wow... I thought I was alone in this situation. My case seems insignificant compared to all you have gone thru. JIK my hats off to you! I agree with what you are doing and it gives me hope to hear that others have the ethics and courage to fight and try and make things better. Here is a copy and paste of what I just sent to my representative. I will also send a similiar version to Senator Boxer and Senator and Feinstein. << January 8th, 2010 Representative Jackie Speier: First let me begin by wishing you health, happiness and prosperity in 2010. Jackie, I am writing you due to extreme frustrations with the Social Security Office and possibly also due to the Homeland Security Dept. Let me explain: I recently petitioned for my fiancé from China to join me here in the US. I had taught Math in China for 3 years and had met while I was there. The process of bringing her here as my fiancé was extremely lengthy and involved. I generated over 200 files and documents and proof of documents and finances and utility payments and bank account statements going back 2 years and tax filings and W2s and W4s and letters of support and degrees and passport copies and numerous other forms that are required etc etc etc … I think I chopped down 2 trees to achieve this and all this to be able to have her fiancé visa approved. When she finally had the interview at the US consulate in Guangzhou, it lasted a whole 1 minute and they only wanted to see 2 pages out of the 100's of pages we put together and were told were needed!!! What a waste of time and resources! Now thank God she is here and we married on Dec 16th (thank you). She recently applied for an SSN # on Dec 2nd at the San Mateo Claremont office. We were told it would be approx 2 to 3 weeks. Well we are now going onto our 5th week and still no social security number. As stated we married on Dec 16th and Xialing was added to my 2010 dental, vision and PPO plans as my wife. Today when I called my dental insurer to confirm that my wife had been added to my plan, as per my completed forms, I was told no! I was told she could not be due to the fact that she had not yet provided an SSN number. So joy, this week I spent 2 hours on the phone (2 calls) with the SSN office main 800 number 800-772-1213. Let me tell you I have just wasted 2 hours and am extremely frustrated. The recordings they have will not let you go on unless you make selections and once you make a selection they force you to listen to information that does not deal with the issue I was calling for. You cannot bypass the recording and end up wasting close to 6 minutes until finally you are routed to an agent, but don’t get your hopes up yet, the wait can easily tag on another 15-20 minutes and finally only to learn that there is nothing they can do as it appears that the Homeland Security Dept must now also review the SSN allocation process. I was nonetheless given the tel # to the Claremont Street of the San Mateo office (which by the way is NOT published on the main ss.gov website) only to tell me that they cannot handle my call and then my call automatically gets routed back to the main 800 number - Is there no end to this insanity and time wasting! So bottom line my wife is in need of dental and medical appointments and I am told cannot benefit from these (even though we married last Dec and I completed my forms asking for her to be added to my 2010 dental, vision and PPO) all because the SSA office cannot get her an SSN number in the promised time of 2/3 weeks. I have worked in the area if biotech here in the USA since 1995, paid all my taxes in full and on time (contrary to many others in the government and agencies), contributed heavily to medicare and the SS funds and have never once asked for unemployment insurance only to end up having my own government office drag their feet and waste my precious time (which by now easily tops 3 hours this week alone) thereby preventing my wife from getting required dental services. In my opinion the Social Security services seriously need improvements. This situation is akin to our bailout of the banks of last year. They borrowed our money at > Wow… I thought I was alone in this situation. My case seems insignificant compared to all you have gone thru. JIK my hats off to you! I agree with what you are doing and it gives me hope to hear that others have the ethics and courage to fight and try and make things better. Here is a copy and paste of what I just sent to my representative. I will also send a similiar version to Senator Boxer and Senator and Feinstein.

<<
January 8th, 2010

Representative Jackie Speier:

First let me begin by wishing you health, happiness and prosperity in 2010.

Jackie, I am writing you due to extreme frustrations with the Social Security Office and possibly also due to the Homeland Security Dept. Let me explain:

I recently petitioned for my fiancé from China to join me here in the US. I had taught Math in China for 3 years and had met while I was there. The process of bringing her here as my fiancé was extremely lengthy and involved. I generated over 200 files and documents and proof of documents and finances and utility payments and bank account statements going back 2 years and tax filings and W2s and W4s and letters of support and degrees and passport copies and numerous other forms that are required etc etc etc … I think I chopped down 2 trees to achieve this and all this to be able to have her fiancé visa approved. When she finally had the interview at the US consulate in Guangzhou, it lasted a whole 1 minute and they only wanted to see 2 pages out of the 100's of pages we put together and were told were needed!!! What a waste of time and resources!

Now thank God she is here and we married on Dec 16th (thank you). She recently applied for an SSN # on Dec 2nd at the San Mateo Claremont office. We were told it would be approx 2 to 3 weeks. Well we are now going onto our 5th week and still no social security number. As stated we married on Dec 16th and Xialing was added to my 2010 dental, vision and PPO plans as my wife. Today when I called my dental insurer to confirm that my wife had been added to my plan, as per my completed forms, I was told no! I was told she could not be due to the fact that she had not yet provided an SSN number.

So joy, this week I spent 2 hours on the phone (2 calls) with the SSN office main 800 number 800-772-1213. Let me tell you I have just wasted 2 hours and am extremely frustrated. The recordings they have will not let you go on unless you make selections and once you make a selection they force you to listen to information that does not deal with the issue I was calling for. You cannot bypass the recording and end up wasting close to 6 minutes until finally you are routed to an agent, but don’t get your hopes up yet, the wait can easily tag on another 15-20 minutes and finally only to learn that there is nothing they can do as it appears that the Homeland Security Dept must now also review the SSN allocation process. I was nonetheless given the tel # to the Claremont Street of the San Mateo office (which by the way is NOT published on the main ss.gov website) only to tell me that they cannot handle my call and then my call automatically gets routed back to the main 800 number – Is there no end to this insanity and time wasting!

So bottom line my wife is in need of dental and medical appointments and I am told cannot benefit from these (even though we married last Dec and I completed my forms asking for her to be added to my 2010 dental, vision and PPO) all because the SSA office cannot get her an SSN number in the promised time of 2/3 weeks.

I have worked in the area if biotech here in the USA since 1995, paid all my taxes in full and on time (contrary to many others in the government and agencies), contributed heavily to medicare and the SS funds and have never once asked for unemployment insurance only to end up having my own government office drag their feet and waste my precious time (which by now easily tops 3 hours this week alone) thereby preventing my wife from getting required dental services. In my opinion the Social Security services seriously need improvements. This situation is akin to our bailout of the banks of last year. They borrowed our money at >

]]> By: Harry Guenther http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-104948 Harry Guenther Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:43:34 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-104948 SSA is withholding $1,041.00 from my October benefit which is rightfully mine. They claim I exceeded the earnings limit in 2008 by $2,082.00. I retired from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on December 31, 2007. I didn't even work in 2008. The money I received was for the last few days I worked in 2007 plus payment for my unused Federal annual leave. Twice I have had GSA send an SS Form 131 saying the the money paid in 2008 was earned in 2007. The first was sent by mail to my local SSA Office at 337 Hospital Drive, Glen Burnie, MD. at he end of August. The second was faxed to a contact representative, Morgan J. Tabb on October 13, 2009. I called Mr. Tabb on Fiday October 23 to see if he had received the form. Of course he was not available. I left a message asking him to call me. Didi he call? Of course not! I called the SSA toll free number last Friday. They sent an email and a left a phone message with my local SSA office asking them to call me. Guess what? No Call! I've now put this in the hands of my U.S. Senator. I learned from working in retirement and insurance that the only way to get action is to light a fire under their collective butts. If you're having problems, get your congressmen involved. SSA is withholding $1,041.00 from my October benefit which is rightfully mine. They claim I exceeded the earnings limit in 2008 by $2,082.00. I retired from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on December 31, 2007. I didn’t even work in 2008. The money I received was for the last few days I worked in 2007 plus payment for my unused Federal annual leave. Twice I have had GSA send an SS Form 131 saying the the money paid in 2008 was earned in 2007. The first was sent by mail to my local SSA Office at 337 Hospital Drive, Glen Burnie, MD. at he end of August. The second was faxed to a contact representative, Morgan J. Tabb on October 13, 2009. I called Mr. Tabb on Fiday October 23 to see if he had received the form. Of course he was not available. I left a message asking him to call me. Didi he call? Of course not! I called the SSA toll free number last Friday. They sent an email and a left a phone message with my local SSA office asking them to call me. Guess what? No Call! I’ve now put this in the hands of my U.S. Senator. I learned from working in retirement and insurance that the only way to get action is to light a fire under their collective butts. If you’re having problems, get your congressmen involved.

]]> By: Ronda Smith http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-104540 Ronda Smith Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:14:49 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-104540 Reading your article on your experiences with the SSA has brought up some very angry feelings that I have based on my own terrible experience with this stupid agency. It gave me so much grief that I feel my chest constricting right now, thinking about the way they treated me. I can't get into too much detail because it'll just ruin my day, but basically here is the story. In Nov. 2001 I got married. In January of 2002 I changed my last name from Mangrum to Smith. I applied for and received a new card, with the correct spelling of my name. Then about 6 months later I got my SS statement, you know they sent those out every year stating your earnings or whatever. Well, on this statement they had misspelled Smith. It was spelled SMTIH. So I called and told them. I said I have a card with the correct spelling, why is it wrong on my statement? The lady I spoke to me told me that it appeared that in January I applied twice, the first time with the correct spelling, then 3 days later I applied again with the misspelling. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I absolutely did not do this. I went round and round with these idiots and assholes so many times. One woman I spoke to even called me a bitch, because I was adamant that they misspelled my name and it was their fault, they needed to fix it. They of course wanted me to reapply. I held out for 5 years before I broke down and wasted 3 hours of my life and vacation time from work to go get this fixed. When I finally was standing in front of a real person, I showed her my card, with the correct spelling. But I couldn't get her to just change the spelling in their database. She had to reissue me a new card, and she took my original card, even though it was spelled correctly and I didn't actually need a new card, I just need it corrected in their database. She was at least nice and she was just doing her job, but it was like she was told to take the correct card and destroy the evidence of their mistake. I didn't want to give it up but it was the only way they would correct the misspelling. This whole experience made me regret changing my last name, and of course now I hate the SSA. And I've only told you a fraction of the hell they put me through. Sorry for the cursing. It just gets me worked up. Reading your article on your experiences with the SSA has brought up some very angry feelings that I have based on my own terrible experience with this stupid agency. It gave me so much grief that I feel my chest constricting right now, thinking about the way they treated me. I can’t get into too much detail because it’ll just ruin my day, but basically here is the story. In Nov. 2001 I got married. In January of 2002 I changed my last name from Mangrum to Smith. I applied for and received a new card, with the correct spelling of my name. Then about 6 months later I got my SS statement, you know they sent those out every year stating your earnings or whatever. Well, on this statement they had misspelled Smith. It was spelled SMTIH. So I called and told them. I said I have a card with the correct spelling, why is it wrong on my statement? The lady I spoke to me told me that it appeared that in January I applied twice, the first time with the correct spelling, then 3 days later I applied again with the misspelling. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that I absolutely did not do this. I went round and round with these idiots and assholes so many times. One woman I spoke to even called me a bitch, because I was adamant that they misspelled my name and it was their fault, they needed to fix it. They of course wanted me to reapply. I held out for 5 years before I broke down and wasted 3 hours of my life and vacation time from work to go get this fixed. When I finally was standing in front of a real person, I showed her my card, with the correct spelling. But I couldn’t get her to just change the spelling in their database. She had to reissue me a new card, and she took my original card, even though it was spelled correctly and I didn’t actually need a new card, I just need it corrected in their database. She was at least nice and she was just doing her job, but it was like she was told to take the correct card and destroy the evidence of their mistake. I didn’t want to give it up but it was the only way they would correct the misspelling. This whole experience made me regret changing my last name, and of course now I hate the SSA. And I’ve only told you a fraction of the hell they put me through. Sorry for the cursing. It just gets me worked up.

]]> By: EDWARD PERKOWSKI http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-103355 EDWARD PERKOWSKI Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:01:51 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-103355 AFTER 9 YEARS OF RECEIVING BENEFITS AFTER BREAKING MY BACK SS SENT ME A LETTER SAYING I OWED THEM 103 THOUSAND DOLLARS BECAUSE OF MY WC DISABILITY. FROM DAY 1 I GOT THE SAME WC DIS. AND THEY FIGURED IT INTO MY SS PAYMENT FROM THE BEGINNING THEN AGAIN FOR MY FAMILY 1 YEAR LATER. THEY ALSO DID UPDATES 2 TIMES OVER THE 9 YEARS. ARE THESE PEOPLE IDIOTS OR WHAT? I CANT EVEN GET TO THEM FOR 2 MONTHS WHEN THEY MADE AN APPOINTMENT. WITH NO WARNING THEY CUT MY SS PAYMENT 1100 DOLLARS. THEY DONT EVEN KNOW HOW TO DO THE MATH ALLOWING 80% OF YOUR CURRENT EARNINGS ALLOWED. AT ONE APPOINTMENT WITH THEM A EMPLOYEE ASKED WHY I NEEDED SO MUCH MONEY. I HAVE 7 KIDS AN AM NOW ON A MISSION. GOD HELP THIS COUNTRY . I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WOULDNT GIVE YOU THEIR NAME OR SIGN ANYTHING THEY DID, ITS BECAUSE THERE TO DUMB. AFTER 9 YEARS OF RECEIVING BENEFITS AFTER BREAKING MY BACK SS SENT ME A LETTER SAYING I OWED THEM 103 THOUSAND DOLLARS BECAUSE OF MY WC DISABILITY. FROM DAY 1 I GOT THE SAME WC DIS. AND THEY FIGURED IT INTO MY SS PAYMENT FROM THE BEGINNING THEN AGAIN FOR MY FAMILY 1 YEAR LATER. THEY ALSO DID UPDATES 2 TIMES OVER THE 9 YEARS. ARE THESE PEOPLE IDIOTS OR WHAT? I CANT EVEN GET TO THEM FOR 2 MONTHS WHEN THEY MADE AN APPOINTMENT. WITH NO WARNING THEY CUT MY SS PAYMENT 1100 DOLLARS. THEY DONT EVEN KNOW HOW TO DO THE MATH ALLOWING 80% OF YOUR CURRENT EARNINGS ALLOWED. AT ONE APPOINTMENT WITH THEM A EMPLOYEE ASKED WHY I NEEDED SO MUCH MONEY. I HAVE 7 KIDS AN AM NOW ON A MISSION. GOD HELP THIS COUNTRY . I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WOULDNT GIVE YOU THEIR NAME OR SIGN ANYTHING THEY DID, ITS BECAUSE THERE TO DUMB.

]]> By: jik http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-103245 jik Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:10:57 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-103245 <em>It looks like they finally fixed this issue.</em> Why do you say that? It looks like they finally fixed this issue.

Why do you say that?

]]> By: Billy http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-103243 Billy Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:50:50 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-103243 It looks like they finally fixed this issue. I can't believe it took then almost 8 months to roll in their software fix. They have encouraged identity theft. I bet that if there is statistics about identity theft they will high during this period. What makes people mad is the lack of accountability. They know they screwed up but they still make you go through millions hurdles. It looks like they finally fixed this issue. I can’t believe it took then almost 8 months to roll in their software fix.
They have encouraged identity theft. I bet that if there is statistics about identity theft they will high during this period.
What makes people mad is the lack of accountability. They know they screwed up but they still make you go through millions hurdles.

]]> By: B Sisco http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-103051 B Sisco Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:12:50 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-103051 Unimaginable problems w/Social Securitysince April 2008 until a week ago when a call said everything was put back in order and sent me a "new" social security card", which matched the one I'd had for many years, until April, when I received one that didn't match. Nothing but months of sitting on the phone and in the office to social security. Now that it's supposedly settled, they've gone after my daughter, a mentally disabled person, unable to work a real job, although her identity was stolen and they now claim she's earning money every month. More lies! I was told the only way to go after social security is to write your senator- that would be either Sen. Barbara Boxer or Sen. Diane Feinstein, since Soc.Sec. is a government agency. That's what I'm doing now. Unimaginable problems w/Social Securitysince April 2008 until a week ago when a call said everything was put back in order and sent me a “new”
social security card”, which matched the one I’d had for many years,
until April, when I received one that didn’t match. Nothing but
months of sitting on the phone and in the office to social security.

Now that it’s supposedly settled, they’ve gone after my daughter, a
mentally disabled person, unable to work a real job, although her
identity was stolen and they now claim she’s earning money every
month. More lies!

I was told the only way to go after social security is to write your
senator- that would be either Sen. Barbara Boxer or Sen. Diane Feinstein,
since Soc.Sec. is a government agency. That’s what I’m doing now.

]]> By: Andrew http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-102734 Andrew Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:42:45 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-102734 I totally agree with bob roberts above. I USED to work for SSA (thank God I got out of there), and I would like to again reiterate that it is not the employees that cause the problems, it's Management that is the problem. Management is completely incompetent, and they are NOT held accountable for their actions by anyone (if they were, you wouldn't have went through what you went through). Management is truly a disgusting breed of animal at SSA; they are worse than scum. In fact, Management exploits workers at SSA in the worst possible way. There is no morale, and employees hate their jobs because they make their lives miserable. I know that SSA will never give you an apology for what you went through, so on behalf of this Fascist agency, I apologize. I totally agree with bob roberts above. I USED to work for SSA (thank God I got out of there), and I would like to again reiterate that it is not the employees that cause the problems, it’s Management that is the problem. Management is completely incompetent, and they are NOT held accountable for their actions by anyone (if they were, you wouldn’t have went through what you went through). Management is truly a disgusting breed of animal at SSA; they are worse than scum. In fact, Management exploits workers at SSA in the worst possible way. There is no morale, and employees hate their jobs because they make their lives miserable. I know that SSA will never give you an apology for what you went through, so on behalf of this Fascist agency, I apologize.

]]> By: bob roberts http://blog.kamens.us/2005/10/10/an-object-lesson-in-incompetence-at-the-social-security-administration/comment-page-1/#comment-102409 bob roberts Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:32:54 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=5#comment-102409 I work for SSA and I can tell you that the incompetence goes alot deeper than just that, in part because management at SSA are idiots and are so out of touch with reality, it's pathetic. Alot of unqualified people in jobs that they have no business being in. Mainly management has made a mess of the whole system, you can't blame the workers, they are just doing what they are told to do, it's the absolute morons at the top who are to blame. God help us all !!! I work for SSA and I can tell you that the incompetence goes alot deeper than just that, in part because management at SSA are idiots and are so out of touch with reality, it’s pathetic. Alot of unqualified people in jobs that they have no business being in. Mainly management has made a mess of the whole system, you can’t blame the workers, they are just doing what they are told to do, it’s the absolute morons at the top who are to blame. God help us all !!!

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