The worst service ever. I have been waiting in the lobby for over four hours to get my turn to get the name on my social security card. I could not get it done on the phone or online. Scheduling an appointment will take around 60 days to have one. The place is so full of people. Many are so sick. It's is the perfect place to get diseases. The disgusting Oder is another story . I feel bad for the security lady being here all day and maintaining her good attitude. I will give this place minus 1000 if I could. Most service windows are closed too. The worst ever. read more

I just got off the phone appointment with Miss Martinez and just wanted to say what a wonderful job she did! She made the whole process seem so easy and smooth! Thank you again Miss Martinez you are doing great and I appreciate you and your help! The world needs more people like you! Kathy R read more

I had to wait for 2 hours just to show proof of citizenship. When I finally met the clerk, who was very disagreeable, she said 'you are all set' and made a copy of your passport. A week later, I am receiving a letter from the SS saying that my application was denied m because I am NOT a citizen! The clerk validated the WRONG information in the system ! Now I have to go back AGAIN to get this mistake corrected. I booked an appointment; it took me 30 minutes to get one over the phone (the only option available to get an appointment). THEN, the earliest appointment is in 2 MONTHS !!! I can't wait to see an AI agent replacing those INCOMPETENT people. read more

I just called the Bellevue Social Security office regarding new charges, was put on hold then with a chat bot who took all my details then connected me with a "Covina, CA tax expert" who ask for my credit card for a $5 fully refundable charge then proceeded to charge me $5 and then a non refundable $55 charge which they failed to mention. What kind of organization does this kind of crap? And they were supposedly connected to the Social Security Office...what total bullshit! I only added a star as it was required to make this post. read more

Horrendous service! Absolute nonsense -- don't even know why this branch exists. They don't take anyone in, you have to make appointments to be seen, but when you call to make an appointment you're put on hold for hours and can't get through to anyone. I spent three days calling with no success. I had to drop off some paperwork for their review - just a simple drop off and when I arrived there two security officers greeted me at the door and quickly told me that I won't be seen - escorted me out with a business card with their 1-800 number to call for an appointment. Why were there 2 security guards on staff? The place was empty! No one's coming in... what a waste of tax payer resources! .... Long story short... they finally reviewed docs and needed to "hold a call" with me - the purpose of that call still evades me. I got a call 38 minutes after the appointed time and the woman who called me had to call twice (I missed the first call which was 38 minutes after our appointment time)... she had the audacity to have a tone like I was late... it was bizarre. I thought this was an important call to review "something" -- there was zero purpose to this call! Nothing she said needed confirmation. She basically talked to herself the whole time. At the end she said "I'll let you go, this is just paperwork that I have to do... I will do it today"... so why was I called? Why was my time wasted? It felt like she was just checking a box --- again...amazing way to have our tax dollars at work. WASTE of time WASTE of space! read more

Came here around 12:30pm on a Monday, and the line was out the door and it was just packed inside. I stuck around for 10 minutes or so and the line was NOT moving at all, chatted with a few other ppl in line and it seems like some have already been waiting for almost an hour and it's probably going to take double or triple that to actually get to a service window, so I just bailed and decided to come back earlier another day. Attempt #2, the next morning, Tuesday, stopped by at 9:05am and was pretty surprised that again the line was out the door. People must have been lining up way before they opened at 9. But this time the line seemed to be moving quicker, and there were less people inside already waiting, so I stuck around. There's a security guard that is very polite and helpful that guides people in. Took around 15 minutes to finally get in, and then continue lining up for another 15 minutes to go up to the kiosk to actually get a ticket to wait for a window. From there, it's another 30 minutes wait, and then my number was called and I was able to get my stuff done and get outta there. The agent was again, very polite and helpful. The had more than 6 windows, there were just A LOT of people that needed help, and just not enough staff I guess. 3 stars doesn't mean bad, it's just the best they can do under the circumstance. All in all, took about an hour to get it done when I arrived just a bit after opening. If you want to save some time, maybe show up 20 minutes/30 minutes earlier? Might be one of the first ones in and the the first one out. Pretty big parking lot, and easy access right on 120th Ave NE. read more

Security was super helpful & suggested adding to the queue upon arrival. Accurate wait time for walk-in appointment. Grabbed a bite to eat nearby & received a text to return. Was called to the window within 10 mins of returning. read more

I called a few days ago to ask a simple question and again, the woman on the phone raised her voice, practically yelling, it's a common scenario when calling And to think they work with people with disabilities and mental health. It's scary to think that someone who has serious mental health has to call these belittling jerks They shouldn't be working with the general public and get a job elsewhere that doesn't involve customers I wouldn't let my daughter call them and ask a question, they might scream at her like they do with me. Extremely unprofessional, it's disgusting read more

When you are calling and waiting for next available representative, sometimes after listening to the recording, you then get a ringing phone that no one picks up. read more

Been waiting all day. Got called to the window I got called to the what the the heck. The security Mr Cho didn't believe me, about my call so then I took me like a minute to find the message for him because I must be lying and then you know he pushes me to the back of the line because I missed the two minute window by one minute he said no to me. What kind of shit is that? Pushed me to the back of the line I literally am losing $300 to be here today. read more

I've been waiting on hold for a human(?) to answer the phone. Kinda wondering if my battery will last much longer. Wonder if all the folks (assuming I'm not simply waiting to hear another recorded announcement) at SSA have retired? Wouldn't that be a bit of irony? If I'd known that I would have to wait this long I might have applied for Social Security the day I graduated from High School. I'm beginning to wonder if they keep me on hold long enough, I'll pass away from starvation and my inquiry as to why my benefit checks seem to be cut-off will be more easily addressed and some gummit employee might receive a bonus for some sort of cost savings effort? Come to think more about it, I'd better check my SSA Card to make sure my SS number is in Roman Numerals. If some living organism does happen to come on-line, do I read off my SS# as numerals or letters. Greek letters maybe. Of course as I recall the card I had read something about not carrying it on my person. Maybe they're just busy, handling applications from retiring Republican lawmakers.... Nawww I have patience. What better things do I have to do? Can't go shopping since my monthly payment seems to be late again. Aint that paperwork reduction act a stroke of genius? Gotta go pee again. Hold my place in line, somebody read more

Horrible experience with Social Security Administration! Called three times and each call Last 30minutes but no human being will pick the call! Went to the physical building and they don't even allow you to enter the building without an appointment and we can't make an appointment in person! Aren't these guys supposed to help us? read more

Please if you guys have called and they said just come in, PLEASE DO ANYTHING TO GET THEM TO SCHEDULED YOU or else you will have to wait approximately 3-6 hours just for 30min talk or come there as early as you so you can be in there read more

On hold for 10 min, then phone at the other end kept ringing with no one picking up. I experienced the same problem two years. It's not clear if the phone system is antiquated or the people working there just don't want to respond. I am back in the queque, hoping to speak to someone after 15 minutes, unless of course the same glitch happens. read more

Absolutely a terrible experience. Twice now I have had to wait in the outside lineup for an hour and a half and then another 45 minutes waiting inside. this is a picture of our government at its absolute worst. read more

My husband applied for medicare 3 months before he turned 65. social security did not respond to us. We are nearing our supplemental insurance deadline and they are still reviewing his case to see if he qualities. He is self employed and the sole supporter of our family so it is difficult for him to take time off. Plus, we cannot afford traditional insurance so we pay out of pocket for his medical insurance and get reimbursed from a private medical company months later. If he got Covid or something near catastrophic, it would be devastating to us. We called and wrote Social Security Bellevue multiple times and they just say that they are reviewing things. I think there is something wrong because the online account states that we did not finish the application but it says they are reviewing it. He signed the paperwork from SS so we are confused and can't seem to get help. The wait time is ridiculous but the intake staff is nice and they try to help. Medicare cannot help us without the medicare number from social security. Granted, things are backlogged but maybe some vaccinated people need to go back to the office and not work from home? Something needs to happen to push things through. I got my medicare a couple month ago. read more

Today was our second visit to the Bellevue SSA office this year. Both visits went very well. We didn't make appointments for either visit. We arrived at the office at around 8:15am, used the QR code on the door to register then waited for the doors to open. The security guards are helpful and friendly. The SSA staff are knowledgeable and pleasant. Both times they provided excellent service. The people waiting in line both times were also very friendly, with more tech savvy individuals helping those less savvy with using the QR code to register. read more

I expected a long waiting time based on other reviews but when I came here around 1pm on Thursday and there were just a few people waiting inside. From the time I arrived, processed to get my number, waited and done with my case, it's less than 1 hour. Everybody was nice and polite. This is my third time visiting this office and luckily I always have positive experiences. read more

I waited 2 1/4 hours to be called, but it was worth the wait. I talked with an agent named Alex and he very patiently answered all my questions. Be prepared to wait a long time, hopefully you will get someone kind like I did. read more

2.25 hours waiting to be spoken to rudely, and with a condescending attitude by an overworked, and probably underpaid, employee who probably hates his job. AI will surely help this current, lame system. read more

Awful! Absolutely awful. Have been waiting for 2 hours and still counting, just to be checked in. They processed 4 numbers in 50 minutes - you can imagine how bad they are. Middle school kids probably would have done this faster. They are probably in the back having party while laughing at all the poor souls waiting outside. By the way, a few observations while waiting: No phone call in the waiting hall, and calling has to go outside, which makes sense, but there is no speaker outside. Once your number has passed, they make you take a new number and you have to wait all over again. That's probably 3 more hours down the drain. The numbers being called jump all over the place. You would have thought they had figured a system after 200+ years of the existence of the US to go from 1 to 2 to 3. Unfortunately, it's too hard for them. read more

Good luck trying to arrange any in-person visit during COVID. If you show up, you'll get rebuffed by security guard telling you that you have to make an appointment in advance via phone. Nope, no online option. You have to call and wait a long time just to talk to a person to get a time penciled in. Oh yes, and about that. Good luck trying to even call in the first place. I don't know if this is unique to the Bellevue office, but once you get past the menu options, they place you in the hold queue with generic elevator music. Then periodically you'll hear ringing, which might get you excited that you're finally dialing in. But nope, it goes straight back to the elevator music after a ring or two. This will happen several times. Then after 15 minutes more of this, you get an automated message telling you that no representatives are available and to try again later, upon which you are disconnected. Like, really, what? Why did you even bother having me on hold then if "no one is available?" If your hobby is wasting time, then this might be a fun activity for you. Not to mention that navigating the website feels like driving through a minefield. You never know when you might get the "PAGE NOT FOUND" message after clicking on a link. And I'm not talking about the super inconspicuous ones in the footer, like big honking links and buttons where you would think should have high traffic. Yes, I get it. The SSA's woes are the byproduct of decades of neglect and bureaucracy so this is pretty par for the course. But when the simplest things - like having a functional website or not making people wait on hold needlessly - go unattended, I have little faith in a government "for the people." read more

I would give them two stars, but honestly I think if you have to call a place (a government office, no less) 5 times (waiting on hold for 10-45 minutes each time before giving up) before someone finally answers the phone, that is a fundamental failure of service to the people. I'm basically posting this a) in hopes that SSA ever sees or cares about feedback and updates the instructions on their website; and b) in case anyone else is trying to do what I did, change my name after getting married (my nearest SSA office is the one in Bellevue). Here's what worked for me, finally: 1. Call local office number over and over again. Be prepared to wait on hold, put the phone on speaker (and turn the volume down so it's bearable) and persist, dammit. Hang up when you need to go run an errand or take a shower, but otherwise stay on hold until you just can't take it anymore, then take a deep breath and hang up. Call back next time you're calm. 2. Ask to make an appointment, because that's what the internet (the SSA.gov site regarding name changes and new SS cards) says to do. 3. Be told there are no in-person appointments for this; instead, you MAIL a certified copy of your marriage certificate (luckily I requested two) and FORM SS5 to your local field office. No fees, nothing else you need to do. I could have done this a week ago (and I would have ordered extra copies of the certified marriage certificate if I had seen this requirement online - just to be safe). Once I do this, they should mail me back the certificate and my new card in 2-4 weeks (they said probably more like 4, so I'm guessing 5-6). SSA: PLEASE update your website so that these instructions are posted online!! read more

I have been trying to call the office for two days.. waiting on a call that gets dropped and calling back in. How do I talk to a human? I mailed in an application for name change over two months ago & received a response that it was being worked on... I can't follow up for the life of me. So frustrating!! read more

The security man at the front was friendly and polite, and the staff who work the windows are nice and efficient as well. But be prepared to wait 1-2 hours if you don't show up as soon as they open! Waiting for my appointment took 1.5 hours or more, but my appointment itself took about 10 minutes. read more

After 3 calls and 1 hour wait I spoke to a receptionist (I totally get wait times are long so not my issue). I get USPS daily mail updates and saw a certified letter from the office arriving Dec 5, but that letter that says "Social Security Offices" was the only thing not to arrive. I reported it missing with USPS and still no luck as of Dec10 when I decided to call SSO. The receptionist kept denying they sent a letter or that it was lost. Then she said wait two weeks and it will show after I gave her the certified number. She said she can't look up the number to see what info was in the mail and basically to call USPS which I already have filed an issue with. I'm feeling frustrated that she was so dismissive and not sure what to do next to protect my SSN from potentially being stolen. Feeling helpless. read more

First time I called, got great service. Second time I called (two weeks later) to confirm they had received my info and confirm that though they could not address immediately which I understood, I would still be within my allowed time to apply and not penalized because they had so many applications to process (open enrollment, I get it). Rude and I was hung up on. Love what my taxes pay for. 5 stars for first call, 1 star for second. read more

Employees answering the phone are very polite, but not at all helpful. I have been trying since June to get A problem resolved, they owe me $1900. All I get is we are working on it, call back in two weeks, call back in a month, we are busy, why did he tell you this, and today,, no you can't make an appointment to visit, you know there is a pandemic, you stay safe and have a good day. I have never dealt with a government agency that has been so inefficient. So frustrating! read more

Slow and the staff wasn't helpful at all. Waited four hours for them to forget about me and refuse to help. Ended up calling the Social Security phone number from home and begged them to help me and they did. Why even have this place open? read more

they don't have call-back why??keep me on hold 25min, it's not helping me get what i to get done already.You should at least one person to pick-up the ph.the DMV-WORKS WELL WHY CAN'T6 YOU read more

I bet you are just as excited to wait at the social security office, as the rest of us! Yes, there will be a wait, so I would recommend expecting that going in! I would recommend is having all the paperwork needed for exactly what you are applying for. I was there to get my name changed, which I will admit, might be a little quicker of a request than other requests. I believe there was a separate line / window for that specifically, as I watched people get called. When you enter, you will register with a computer and receive a number. You may also get your bags checked by security, since it is a federal office. It's also my understanding that you can set up an appointment, but expect that it will be at least a month away (I overheard guests discussing this). I sat in the lobby which was decently well kept for about 45 minutes, around 1:30 on a Wednesday. When my number got called, the staff was friendly and congratulated me on my marriage. It was a pretty quick process, and she answered all of my questions. read more

Bureaucracy at its worst! A long line of about 30 people had to wait outside in the cold for their turn that took 45-60 minutes. The staff was in low energy mode and deficit in friendly attitude. Typical government employees who are keenly aware of their importance while vaguely cognizant of who they work for...the tax payers. read more

I needed to submit a document, and am still required to make an appointment (just to drop it off in a box and no direct contact with an agent) which is another week away. This is so stupid! read more

What ever happened to customer service? I sent an application for Medicare Part B benefits as per instructions on their website. Part B only applications cannot be filed online - must be mailed to local SSA or brought in. Around 3 weeks after mailing to SSA Bellevue, WA, I received mail from CMS Baltimore telling me that I am not enrolled in Part B and to apply before March 31. I called the toll free line and the wait was over an hour in the queue. I searched to see if there was a number for Bellevue SSA and there was one. However, the service was not much better. The first time, I was able to speak to a live person. However, she said that I needed to talk to Mark and transferred me to his number. It went to voice message. I left a clear and concise message and I did not receive a call back after 4 days. I called again, this time, I could not speak to anyone - I got a recording saying that they were busy and the phone hung up. I was able to find Mark's extension and called him, but I had to leave another message. Still not call back. All I need to know is if they received my application. I would think that I should receive some sort of confirmation that my application was received. If I don't file by March 31st, I will miss my window to file for Part B without having to pay a penalty. Thus, it is extremely important that I know that they got my application. Having received the mail from CMS saying I don't have Part B cause me to attempt to double check if the application was received by the SSA Bellevue Office. However, it has been impossible for me to get a return call. read more

You get different answers based on which ssa worker you talk to! Because it seems some verifications for forms aren't standardized regarding their credibility, it's up to the worker's discretion. So, if you get a cranky worker like I did, you're screwed! If I could give negative stars I would. read more

Maybe it was an off day for the local SS office, but my recent trip wasn't half bad. A nice security officer dude helped me check in and made sure I had all my forms filled out. I only waited like 15 minutes before my number was picked, cool beans! So my three star rating is really for the quick hassle free service.... but note that I came prepared (certified copies, passport, required forms, etc). The chick behind the counter was very creepy, unfriendly, and spelled three important things wrong which I pointed out and she promptly fixed. She made the girl before me leave crying :( I do have to gripe that you have to pay for parking at the Bellevue office... I am $5 poorer! read more

I read reviews before I came in for an updated SSN card with my new name, so I was fully prepared of long wait and bad service. But it turned out to be quite a good experience! Door opened 8:58am for people to check in. Folks were standing in-line way before it was open, very organized. I got my number 9:17, and got everything done and walked out there 9:57! The staff who helped me was very patient and friendly, asking about how my day went and said congratulations to me on my marriage. The waiting area was very quiet and clean, and you can read or chat quietly while waiting! Better experience than my 1st visit 6 years ago in Seattle location! :) Keep it up with the good work!! read more

I realize the pandemic and staffing issues may be affecting my local SSA but today I listened to the phone ring, after the intial muzak, for 5 hours. Only to discover that the local office closed at noon today. So I definitely wasted the last 2.5 hours staying on the phone. I called the local office before and was told to call the national number and that person told me the local office should've helped me. Great. So I am calling the local office and this is what happened. Will have to try again tomorrow. Seems this administration needs to streamline their processes and there's seems to be a training issue as they representatives are passing on the buck and probably creating more trouble for us and them in the long run. read more

Repeatedly tried to find out if a form that I submitted had been sent to the National Office. I explained repeatedly to female what the form was & why it needed to be faxed to National. 20 minutes & she was still clueless. Called a contact at National suggesting this female pis-ant be transferred to the furthermost site next to Santa's Reindeer. She is absolutely no use to humans & doesn't appear to give a rats about helping customers. Can't fire her as the union protects incompetent employees. Sent a copy of the form to my contact in National as well as a cover letter. To think our tax dollars are paying her salary. Private sector would have bounced her after the first report. read more

Just had an appointment with Judy at the Bellevue office. She is fantastic! If private business can provide the service (with s great smile) she does, they will surely be successful. My highest regards. Oh...I should mention that I was fortunate enough to see her last year....same thing! John read more