As COLA increases, here's how to contact a Social Security office in Westchester
Can you make an appointment at Social Security offices? And where are they?
According to the Social Security Administration website, field offices in New York state generally offer a range of services, including:
∎Applying for new or replacement Social Security cards.
∎Applying for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits.
∎Making changes to your benefits information and helping Medicare beneficiaries with limited income apply for extra help with prescription drug costs.
People on Social Security will see a smaller, 3.2% increase in next year's benefit checks, as the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, after government data showed inflation steadied in September from the preceding month, USA Today reported.
The 3.2% increase is about one-third of the four-decade-high 8.7% COLA in 2023, according to USA Today. The benefits hike exceeds the 2.6% average over the past 20 years, but older adults are pessimistic about finances and the growing possibility of Social Security benefit cuts, according to the latest retirement survey of 2,258 people by nonprofit The Senior Citizens League, the paper reported.
“Social Security and SSI benefits will increase in 2024, and this will help millions of people keep up with expenses,” Kilolo Kijakazi, acting social security commissioner, said in a statement on the agency's website.
Beginning early December, Social Security notifies people about their new benefit amount. People who have a personal account can view their COLA notice online, which the Social Security Administration said is secure and faster than a letter in the mail. People can set up text or email alerts when there is a new message in the account. People will need a my Social Security account by Nov. 14 to see the COLA notice online. For that, go to www.ssa.gov/myaccount. The administration said you can also go online to request a replacement Social Security card, check an application's status, estimate future benefits and manage the benefits you receive.
Schedule, reschedule or cancel an appointment by calling1-800-772-1213 (TTY1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Local Social Security offices are open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, according to the Social Security Administration website.
In Westchester, they include the following locations, and the administration's website listed its main phone, 1-800-772-1213, as the one to call:
∎297 Knollwood Road, Suite 4A, White Plains
∎85 Harrison St., New Rochelle
∎20 S. Broadway, Suite 500, Yonkers
∎ One Park Place, third floor, Peekskill.
In Rockland, there's an office at:
∎240 West Nyack Road, West Nyack
The Social Security Administration’s customer service line is1 (800) 772-1213. And people can also go online for services at https://www.ssa.gov/onlineservices/
Check out this fact sheet put out by the administration on 2024 Social Security changes.
Michael McKinney covers growth and development in their Westchester County and the Lower Hudson Valley for The Journal News and USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: How and where in Westchester do I make a Social Security appointment?
