Kalispell Social Security Office shortens hours Weekday hours shortened by 30 minutes and closing at noon on Wednesdays

As of Nov. 19 the Kalispell Social Security office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday. Then on Jan. 2, 2013, the office will close to the public at noon every Wednesday.

While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims work without incurring the cost of overtime. The significantly reduced funding provided by Congress under the continuing resolution for the first six months of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the agency to provide the overtime needed to handle service to the public as it has done in the past.

In addition, on Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving, all Social Security field offices will be closed to the public so employees working can focus on reducing backlogged workloads.

However, most Social Security services do not require a visit to a local office. Many services, including applying for retirement, disability or Medicare benefits, signing up for direct deposit, replacing a Medicare card, obtaining a proof of income letter or informing them of a change of address or telephone number are available at www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing their toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call their TTY number, 1-800-325-0778. Many of their online services also are available in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov.