However, representatives of DOGE later emphasized on Twitter that “field sites remain open, and Social Security has no plans to close any public-facing sites nationwide.” Instead, they wrote that five permanent remote hearing sites have been marked for closure. Yet, 23 Social Security Administration offices still remain on DOGE’s list of lease terminations.
Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson represents the second district, which holds two of the offices that were formerly slated to be closed. He said the SSA previously informed him that the office in Grenada would be locking its doors.
“It's been a constant back and forth,” Thompson said. “The latest information is there will be no office closures at this date in the second district.”
Thompson believes these changes have been chaotic for some of his constituents.
“That's not how the government is supposed to do business,” he said. “Because of that, we’re constantly in a state of misinformation, and I've never seen it this bad since I’ve been in Congress.”
The potential closure of Social Security offices in the state comes at a time when beneficiaries will no longer be able to verify their identity to receive benefits over the phone. Beginning April 1, people may either go online or go to an office to conduct business.
“For a lot of my constituents, who are retired, the only check they receive is a Social Security check,” he said. “If we make that process any more difficult than what it is, then those individuals might not get the benefits that they are entitled to because we change the process.”
Kimberly Campbell is the state director of AARP Mississippi. She believes this could be challenging for many Mississippians living in rural areas.
“There are places in the state of Mississippi where broadband is still an issue,” Campbell said. “They do not even have internet access. And then if they did, they may not even have a computer or be trained to do online applications.”
She also says her organization has not heard directly from the Social Security Administration.
“We keep urging the Social Security Administration to be transparent,” she said. “To really, really give us timely information and let us know exactly what is happening and how things will be conducted. Because we’re concerned about any type of service disruptions.”
According to the Social Security Administration, nearly 700 thousand people receive Social Security benefits in Mississippi, including retirees, widowers and children.
“Many of our 65 and older members of the state, they rely on Social Security for their basic needs,” Campbell said. “It's not like Social Security checks are just something extra for individuals, right? Here, here in our state, it is critical.”
Campbell says volunteers and representatives of AARP have urged the SSA to reverse the decision to require in-person or online identity verification.
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