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Data tables for Decisions Regarding Field Office Closures, June 2020

Data for Preface Figure 1

Use of SSA Service Channels, Fiscal Years 2007-2019
Fiscal year 800 Number Calls Field Office Visitors Online Transactions
2007 59,500,000 44,000,000 no data
2008 60,000,000 44,000,000

no data
2009 58,282,101 45,000,000 no data
2010 56,762,776 45,000,000 13,500,000
2011 54,001,190 44,900,000 16,000,000
2012 59,773,584 45,000,000 21,800,000
2013 63,834,282 43,000,000 46,300,000
2014 58,740,832 40,800,000 70,800,000
2015 49,211,612 41,000,000 87,000,000
2016 53,394,811 43,000,000 121,900,000
2017 51,729,146 42,000,000 155,500,000
2018 56,413,897 43,000,000 163,000,000
2019 56,194,877 43,200,000 184,000,000

Notes: Figure begins in 2007 due to data availability. Each online transaction is counted independently, whereas each field office visit or 800 number call is counted once, regardless of the number of transactions. According to the Annual Performance Report 2014-2016, online transactions include: mySocialSecurity suite services, pre-entitlement informational services (excluding visits to Social Security Online, Frequently Asked Questions, and Field Office Locator), entitlement claims, entitlement appeals, and post-entitlement transactions.

Source: SSA, Agency Financial Report (2008-2019). SSA, Overall Satisfaction Rates Report (2007). SSA, Data for National 800 Number Network Call Volume & Agent Busy Rate (2007-2019).

Data for Paper Figure 1

Number of Social Security Administration Field Offices, 1937-2018
Year Number of Field Offices   Annotation
1937 175
1938 316
1939 327   Benefits to dependents and survivors introduced
1940 495
1941 490
1942 488
1943 487
1944 467
1945 460
1946 456
1947 470
1948 476
1949 478
1950 478
1951 no data
1952 no data
1953 512
1954 512
1955 532
1956 539   Disability Insurance created
1957 558
1958 584
1959 no data
1960 no data
1961 584
1962 601
1963 613
1964 613
1965 616   Medicare begins
1966 706
1967 732
1968 783
1969 825
1970 831
1971 879   Preparation for SSI
1972 926
1973 1085
1974 1240
1975 1285   Service delivery review implemented
1976 1308
1977 1319
1978 1349
1979 1330
1980 1337
1981 1342
1982 1341
1983 1336
1984 1321
1985 1311
1986 1309   800 number introduced
1987 1305
1988 1299
1989 1298
1990 no data
1991 1297
1992 1299
1993 1301
1994 1298
1995 1292
1996 1352
1997 1351
1998 1345
1999 1340
2000 1340
2001 1337
2002 1336
2003 1329
2004 1321
2005 1318
2006 1318
2007 1294
2008 1298   iClaim introduced
2009 1297
2010 1297
2011 1288
2012 1273
2013 1264
2014 1245   Senate Aging Committee examines SSA’s service area reviews
2015 1245
2016 1245
2017 1246
2018 1241

Note: The jump in 1996 is because SSA changed the definition of a field office to include resident stations and then social security card centers. Data for 1937-1980 is as of June 30th; 1981-1993 is as of September 30th; 1994-2018 is as of December 31; Years 1951-1952, 1959-1960, 1990 missing.

Source: SSA Office of the Historian; Social Security Annual Report (1937-1958, 1991-1993); Executive Handbook (1994-2009); Annual Statistical Supplement; Senate Special Committee on Aging, SSA (2010-2014).

Data for Paper Figure 2

Share of Transactions in-Person and Over-the-Phone vs. Online

Note: SSA data do not distinguish between in person and phone applications.

Share of Disability Claims in-Person and Over-the-Phone vs. Online
Fiscal year Online In-person/phone Total disability claims
2008 11.1% 88.9% 2,342,463
2009 21.1% 78.9% 2,815,290
2010 26.8% 73.2% 2,990,007
2011 32.9% 67.1% 3,045,166
2012 38.5% 61.5% 2,939,469
2013 45.6% 54.4% 2,785,733
2014 51.4% 48.6% 2,644,235
2015 51.6% 48.4% 2,530,692
2016 52.1% 47.9% 2,409,113
2017 53.2% 46.8% 2,267,053
2018 56.1% 43.9% 2,226,210
2019 50.1% 49.9% 2,097,146

 

Percent of benefit verification letters in-person/phone vs online
Fiscal year Online In-person/phone Total letters
2008 no data no data no data
2009 2.1% 97.9% 19,000,000
2010 2.6% 97.4% 19,600,000
2011 2.9% 97.1% 20,600,000
2012 3.8% 96.2% 21,100,000
2013 4.3% 95.7% 18,800,000
2014 28.6% 71.4% 9,800,000
2015 44.0% 56.0% 10,900,000
2016 53.1% 46.9% 12,800,000
2017 53.9% 46.1% 14,100,000
2018 no data no data no data
2019 no data no data no data

Note: Data for benefit verification letters was not available for years 2008, 2018 and 2019.

Percent of retirement claims in-person/phone vs. online
Fiscal year Online In-person/phone Total retirement claims
2008 18.9% 81.1% 2,154,994
2009 32.2% 67.8% 2,589,179
2010 36.8% 63.2% 2,484,718
2011 40.7% 59.3% 2,453,220
2012 43.1% 56.9% 2,501,426
2013 49.3% 50.7% 2,541,771
2014 51.4% 48.6% 2,531,400
2015 52.8% 47.2% 2,601,447
2016 52.4% 47.7% 2,674,639
2017 52.7% 47.3% 2,702,412
2018 54.4% 45.6% 2,879,099
2019 47.7% 52.3% 2,876,896

Note: Retirement benefit applications do not include survivors or spousal benefits.

Percent of Social Security Number replacement cards in-person/phone vs online
Fiscal year Online In-person/phone Total Card Replacements

2008 no data no data no data
2009 no data no data no data
2010 no data no data no data
2011 no data no data no data
2012 no data no data no data
2013 no data no data no data
2014 no data no data no data
2015 no data no data no data
2016 1.1% 98.9% 8,957,195
2017 4.6% 95.4% 10,961,888
2018 7.6% 92.4% 11,286,212
2019 11.1% 88.9% 12,101,362

Note: Social Security Card replacement service was not available online until 2016.
Source: SSA, Data for Retirement Insurance Applications Filed via the Internet; SSA, Data for Initial Disability Insurance Applications Filed via the Internet; SSA, Data for Social Security Number Replacement Card Applications Filed via the Internet; GAO, Improvements Needed in Facilities Planning and Service Delivery Evaluation (2017).