The Social Security Administration (SSA) scrapped a service change in April that would have exacerbated their customer service challenges by forcing Alaskans to have
to go in-person to a Social Security office in Anchorage, Juneau, or Fairbanks for routine services that have been handled over the phone.
As a result of AARP’s strong advocacy, applying by phone at 800-772- 1213 and confirming your identity in the process remains an option for people
claiming all types of benefits. Once you're receiving benefits, you don't have to prove your identity to continue receiving them. Of course, you can still apply
online using a MySocialSecurity.gov account or at a local Social Security office, and that may be quicker given call volume and wait times.
It’s a win for AARP and for people across the country that SSA backtracked on their harmful proposed cuts to phone service, but this kind of disarray from the Social Security Administration has led to people around the country confused and anxious about the status of Social Security. Call volume
to SSA has increased substantially at the same time that fewer people are getting resolutions to their problems.
It’s no secret that the Social Security Administration has experienced a customer service crisis for years. Perhaps no organization has been more outspoken about the need to tackle it than AARP. Yet call wait times, hold times, and customer service resolutions have been inconsistent for years, according to SSA’s own live 800 number dashboard data at SSA.gov.
It doesn’t help that Congress hasn’t provided the funding necessary to ensure Social Security can deliver quality customer service. In fact, funding to improve the program has long been on the decline. SSA funding has dropped by 9% since 2018 despite ongoing advocacy efforts.
This year, wait times are on the rise, fewer people can reach a Social Security representative to meet their needs and this challenge emerges just as more people—approximately 10,000 people every day—are retiring. The Social Security Administration has been too unclear and uncommunicative with the public about its customer service issues in 2025. From their backtracking on phone service changes to confusion over office closures, SSA’s public controversies have driven anxiety for Americans everywhere. Phone calls to the agency have spiked over the last few months, and if they don’t commit to customer service improvements, it’s going to cause real hardship for many older Americans trying to get the Social Security they have earned.
The incoming Social Security Commissioner would be well served by re-committing the Social Security Administration to providing timely, efficient and effective customer service. SSA needs to be clear when communicating any possible changes, and what effects that lower staffing levels will have. And Congress needs to provide oversight to ensure
that customer service is prioritized at an agency that has struggled to serve Americans everywhere.
We encourage everyone in Alaska to join us in calling for SSA to ensure everyone receives the Social Security service they need for a vital program for Americans everywhere.
Get the latest Social Security news updates, join AARP in the campaign to protect the money you’ve earned, and view Frequently Asked Questions at aarp.
org/socialsecurity.
Marge Stoneking, AARP Alaska Advocacy Director.
