My Govt. doesnt answer

[Jim King]

I have been dialing the numbers posted on the web site of the Social Security Dept. for a few months now and only get a recording with one exception. I was able to talk to them once but got nothing accomplished. There is an office here in South America in the Embassy down in Argentina but they dont answer either.

I have left messages but no one answers. The mail takes about 20 days if in fact it gets there . I have sent about 10 letters and also by DHL but no answer.

I can only call standard telephone numbers as toll free numbers are not possible to call from outside the US. I have sent faxes- no answer.

Any working numbers or however I may contact them would be appreciated.

[Chris Kennedy]

Jim,

Do you have family in the US? If so, they may be able to jumpstart things for you by going through their congressman. We've done this for passports.

Cheers,

Chris

[Jim King]

Chris:
I dont have any one up there that could contact a Congressman.

It does seem a little extreme to bother a Congressman about such a thing but maybe it is necessary. I would try it from here but they probably have an 800 phone number.

I do find it amazing that the SS people dont work by internet yet.

Jim

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jim,

Correct me if I'm wrong....you are a US citizen working outside the US.

What state do you claim as residence? Wisconsin?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Just for the record,

my wife had to apply for SS recently and it took a few phone calls before she was able to talk to a human and we have a local office.

[Mike Henderson]

I applied for social security through the Internet - on the SS web site. You still need to send in your documents (birth certificate) by mail but it went pretty fast for me.

Mike

[Chris Kennedy]

Jim,

I don't know if this will help, but the number for our local office is 757-873-3914 (Newport News, VA). Maybe dealing with a branch office will enable you to reach a real person. There is also one in Hampton, VA: 757-728-0221.

Hope those help.

Cheers,

Chris

[Garth Keel]

At least from California, dealing with SS has been a very good experience. People were knowledgeable, helpful and well organized. Maybe the above idea of contacting an office in your ho,me state will get the ball rolling. With all of the cutbacks overseas, you may be in a "dead" zone.

[Karl Laustrup]

Jim,

I signed up for SS benefits in December and did the whole thing online. I did have to send my birth certificate and DD-214 via mail, but I got them back.

Go to http://www.ssa.gov/ and you should be able to get answers and do just about anything else concerning Social Security.

Good luck.

Karl

[David G Baker]

I filed on line and had no problem at all. There are direct phone numbers that will get you to a human but finding the numbers can be difficult.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Some animals are more equal than others.

If you have contributed to a senator or congressperson you might give that office a call or better yet - - - Write a Letter.

[Greg Cuetara]

Jim,
If you are a US citizen call up your congressman or senator. Call (202) 224-3121 and ask for your congressman or senator. Even if you get someone on staff they will be able to help you and push the correct buttons. NOTHING is too extreme to bothor your congressman for. We ALL need to start realizing that they work for us and if gov't won't listen we need to get their help.
Greg

[Burt Waddell]

Like a couple of others, I applied for Social Security on line and found the experience to be a most pleasant one. Everything flowed just as they said it would.

Burt

[Mike Henderson]

Some animals are more equal than others.

If you have contributed to a senator or congressperson you might give that office a call or better yet - - - Write a Letter.
Is that the truth! I went to my congressman with a problem and not only had I not contributed to his campaign, but I was registered as the opposite party. You can imagine how much help I received.

Mike

[Jim King]

It was like majic. It is Independence day here and a holiday today so in the morning I started calling at 8:00 East Coast time and the same recording. Then I put the message here and within half an hour of dialing again someone actually answered the phone and I found out that I am OK and my wife needs another form faxed tomorrow.

To make it more surprising when I was talking my Great Dane and Mastiff both decided to sleep under my desk and tore the telephone cord out of the wall and I lost the call. I sent a guy to get a new box and got it installed and called again and got thru again. That not being amazing enough they called me back to reconfirm everything.

I did find out something interesting in the conversations in that I as a US citizen from Wisconsin with a Peruvian Resident Card I pay no taxes on SS but if I were a Peruvian returning home I would have to pay a tax of 25%.

My wife and I both stopped working for health problems about 6 months ago but I dont think I will be able to do it much longer. A life without work and problems is not very inviting for me and I think working is more healthy that being retired.

All said it looks like the power of SMC solved the problem.