Field Office (FO)

The Social Security Administration operates hundreds of Field Offices across the United States. These local Field Offices allow individuals to interact with Social Security representatives in a face-to-face setting.

Most Social Security Field Offices offer a full range of Social Security services. Social Security Disability applicants can go to their local Social Security Field Office to apply for Social Security Disability benefits, to make changes to benefit information or to get help with applying for Medicare benefits. The Social Security Field Offices can also help Social Security Disability recipients apply for extra help to cover the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare’s Prescription Drug Program.

While many of the services offered in a Social Security Field Office are available online, the Field Offices are available to those who prefer to speak with a Social Security representative in person. Social Security Field Offices are open to the public and you do not need an appointment to visit one, but there are instances that you may wish to make an appointment, such as when filing a disability claim.

FO Address Meaning

The Social Security Administration has hundreds of field offices or FOs all over the country. Many of the Social Security Administration’s services are also available online so that people who have limited mobility, people who don’t drive, or people that don’t have easy access to public transportation can still manage their accounts and do what they need to do.

 You can also apply for Social Security disability benefits online if you can’t get to a field office. Some people use their local FO as their permanent mailing address if they don’t have a permanent address but need to put an address on an account like their Social Security account so that they can access their benefits. At a Social Security field office you can get help with things like:

  • Applying for Social Security disability benefits
  • Applying for a Social Security card
  • Making changes to your Social Security card
  • Changing your payment method for disability benefits
  • Applying for retiree benefits 
  • Applying for SSI
  • Changing the name on your Social Security card after a marriage or divorce

 The closest field office to you may not be in the city you live in, or the state you live in. Because of the way that the Social Security field offices are set off you may find that the closest or most accessible field office to your home is in another city or state. You can go to any Social Security office if you need help. You are not stuck only going to the one by your house.

When you file a claim for Social Security Disability benefits, the Social Security Field Office is the office that is in charge of the beginning stages of processing your claim. Representatives at this office will verify your non-medical eligibility requirements such as your Social Security coverage information and, if applying for SSI, your income and resource information. Once your non-medical eligibility has been verified by your Field Office, the office will send your Social Security Disability case to the SSA’s DDS for an evaluation of your disabling criteria.

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