Instagram

Federal Government Urges CBOs to Connect Vulnerable People with Social Security Assistance

Homeless man in New York City
Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Social Security Administration officials say the agency has continued to work with advocates and community-based organizations (CBOs) to reach the country’s most vulnerable populations, including individuals with low income, limited English proficiency, mental illness, or those facing homelessness.

 

Officials said the department has a long history of outreach and coordination with such advocates and community-based organizations across the nation, and is fully committed to continuing to assist all people to gain access to the information and services they need, with a specific emphasis on helping them to apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.

 

Andrew Saul is U.S. commissioner of social security and said he has made this a strategic agency priority, and has focused resources to reach vulnerable communities, to help them access available services and receive their benefits. “I ask leaders in every community to share information about our programs with people, and help them connect with us to apply for benefits,” he said. “Social Security is working on many initiatives to reach vulnerable populations and I am pleased to share information about our national outreach campaign, developed in collaboration with leaders in the community, to raise awareness of the SSI and SSDI programs.”

 

To ensure effective outreach to vulnerable populations who need access to agency programs, and to the advocates and organizations who can help to connect people with social security, the agency launched a national campaign to raise awareness of the SSI and SSDI programs, and to encourage people to apply. Campaign efforts include:

 

 

 

 

  • An upcoming national advertising campaign to support all outreach efforts on TV, radio, and social media, with special emphasis on children with disabilities (see the recently redesigned website focused on SSI for children at www.socialsecurity.gov/benefits/disability/apply-child.html). TV and radio PSAs highlighting SSI for children currently are being tested in the Dallas, TX area to determine their impact.

 

  • The agency is now completing training videos for community-based caseworkers to help their clients with the SSI application process.

 

People can apply for SSI benefits, and for other benefit programs, through a telephone appointment with the agency, even while local offices are not able to accept walk-in visitors. More people need to be made aware of the SSI program and reminded that they can call toll-free 1-800-772-1213, or their local Social Security office, to make a phone appointment to apply for SSI.  People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call Social Security’s TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.

 

 

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.

Like this story? Leave your comments below.