WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) and Senators Joseph Lieberman and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter this week urging the Social Security Administration to delay the closing of the Norwalk Social Security office until the Administration provides the information and data they used to determine that the Norwalk office should be closed. The delegation requested this information on multiple occasions, but SSA has yet to fully and accurately respond to the request.
In the letter, the officials write:
We write to reiterate our request that you not take any irrevocable action to permanently close the Social Security Administration (SSA) office located in Norwalk, Connecticut, without providing us with the requested data which shows the Norwalk office has similar cost and consumer usage that place it in the same category as the other 14 office consolidations nationwide and that other offices within the region which serve the needs of fewer residents do not exist.
A complete copy of the letter is below, and a PDF is available here.
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January 24, 2012
Susan Harding
Regional Director, New England
Social Security Administration
Dear Director Harding:
Thank you for making your deputy, Michael Bertrand, available for a phone conference with Congressman Jim Himes last Friday, January 20, 2012. We write to reiterate our request that you not take any irrevocable action to permanently close the Social Security Administration (SSA) office located in Norwalk, Connecticut, without providing us with the requested data which shows the Norwalk office has similar cost and consumer usage that place it in the same category as the other 14 office consolidations nationwide and that other offices within the region which serve the needs of fewer residents do not exist.
Please note we have been advised that, despite what your administration initially told our offices, the lease for the expanded Bridgeport office is still under consideration and has not yet been signed by the Government Services Administration (GSA). We strongly urge you to consider postponing the signing of the new lease for the expanded Bridgeport office until the requested information has been provided and appropriately evaluated. We were informed by members of your staff during a public meeting in Norwalk that the Norwalk SSA office served as many as 300 people per week during the temporary closure of the Danbury SSA office. However, data received from the local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees indicates the Norwalk SSA office served 500-600 people per week during that period. It is critical that we obtain a clear and accurate assessment of the number of clients serviced by the Norwalk SSA office before any permanent decisions are made regarding its closure.
We have requested a data analysis and demographic information on multiple occasions: on a phone conference call between your staff and our offices on January 6, in a letter to Commissioner Astrue on January 11, at our public meeting on January 19, and in the phone conversation Friday with Michael Bertrand, your deputy. The specific information we are requesting from your office should include the total number of individuals using each office in the New England Region and all other metrics of usage and efficiency used to make your decision. In addition, we also request the traffic data for the other 14 offices slated to be closed across the country, as discussed by Steve Richardson during the public meeting on January 19, 2012.
We strongly urge you to suspend closure of the Norwalk office while we work together to find a positive solution including the establishment of a permanent office in Norwalk that provides full service to residents on a regular basis. Yesterday, we held a teleconference with GSA and Norwalk officials, which concluded that suitable property exists within Norwalk to facilitate relocation of the Norwalk SSA office within the city. We stand willing to arrange further meetings between SSA, GSA, and the City of Norwalk, or to otherwise offer assistance, to ensure that a local Social Security presence remains in Norwalk to assist senior and disabled residents.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Congressman James A. Himes