Ayotte Pushing for Better Customer Service for Social Security Beneficiaries

Statement

Recently, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte sent a letter to the Social Security Administration (SSA) in regards to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that found that SSA does not consistently provide enough information to in-person claimants, thereby hurting their ability to make well-informed decisions about their retirement.

"Without understanding important information - including that retirement benefits are based on the highest 35 years of earnings or that life expectancy is an important fact to consider in determining when to claim retirement benefits - I am concerned that some claimants are making choices that will impact the rest of their lives without having the knowledge necessary to make a well-informed decision," wrote Ayotte.

Ayotte continued, "While claims specialists are not financial advisors, SSA has a duty to ensure that all claimants - no matter what platform they use to file a claim - are given important information so that claimants are able to make well-informed decisions regarding their retirement benefits."

Source