A very bad decision: What are they thinking!

By Robby Stern

We recently received notice that the Social Security Administration plans to close their Seattle offices at 9th & Lenora and in the Rainier Valley and consolidate these offices at the Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle. They pose it as a cost saving measure.

By closing these two field offices and relocating to the Jackson Federal Building, the Agency is denying access to face-to-face services to individuals without current valid state or federal ID which is required to enter the Jackson Federal Building. Individuals who lose their ID or have it stolen will often make the Social Security office one of their first stops as they try to recreate their essential documents.

Those most heavily impacted are the poor, the homeless, and those living on Social Security Disability. They are the least likely to have the essential ID to enter the Jackson Federal Building. Those who carry all their possessions with them will have enormous difficulty getting their possessions into the building. They will not be able to leave it outside the Federal Building because unattended stuff is viewed as a potential security hazard.

When we discussed the issue at the last PSARA Executive Board meeting, it turns out one of PSARAs Executive Board members would be unable to access the Social Security office if it is relocated as planned.

Recently I heard from a wonderful and compassionate attorney who represents Social Security Disability clients. She stated that the Jackson Federal Building “is an impossible barrier to accessing the local SSA office for many of our clients who are homeless and have had their IDs stolen. This does not touch upon the problem of numerous Social Security disability recipients that deal with active anxiety, personality disorders, or paranoid schizophrenia every day and will not come near such a building.”

We need to persuade the Social Security Administration to back away from this insensitive and unacceptable relocation. We have contacted Rep, McDermott’s office and will also be discussing it with Senators Cantwell and Murray. Rep. McDermott has sent an inquiry to the Social Security Administration and is awaiting a response.

In the meanwhile, I want to urge all of you to email Regional Commissioner Stanley Friendship at stanley.c.friendship@SSA.gov, phone # (206) 615-2107, stating your grave concern with the proposed consolidation in the Jackson Federal Building. It would also be very helpful if you were to contact your Congressional Representative and our two Senators asking them to step in and stop this terrible decision from being implemented.