Ask Larry

How Do I Find Out Who I'm Speaking With At Social Security?

I ask a social security employee her name she said she could not give it out so i ask if she had an id number she said she did not i ask to speak with her supervisor she said she would connect me with them and then just hung up and the same person has done this twice now how do i find out who i am speaking with at the social security office i know it was social security offic because i called them they did not call me. an answer would be very appriciated thank you

Hi. As far as I know, federal employee names and salaries are considered as public information under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA). However, if an individual employee refuses to tell you their full name it might take a formal FOIA request to get it. Social Security employees should also allow you to speak to a supervisor or manager upon request, so I'm surprised to hear of your experience.

I can tell you that during my 36 year career with Social Security I always gave customers my full name, and I believe that all of my co-workers did the same. And, I always gave customers my phone number and extension upon request. We didn't have any type of employee ID numbers by which we could be identified by members of the public, though.

Given your experience the only suggestion I can make is to contact the offices of your congressional representative or one of your U.S. senators. Social Security regulations are established by Congress, so if your Social Security office is failing to follow regulations I would think your congressional representatives would want to know about it.

Best, Jerry

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Posted: 
Jul 21 2021 - 6:28pm
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