Customer Services are Strained at the SSA. You Should Plan Around These Federal Holidays

It is not easy to get through to the Social Security Administration (SSA) on the phone; from workforce reductions, to the consolidation and closing of in-person hearing offices at the SSA, getting your questions answered can be a challenge. While there are better and worse times to call the SSA, holiday closures can make the days leading up to and right after a holiday even more difficult, as people try to resolve problems before the phones are unmanned and offices are closed.

Remember that on federal holidays, all non-essential federal government offices, as well as many financial institutions, are closed for business. Although these holidays are often observed throughout the whole country, they are not “national holidays.”

Contacting the Social Security Administration

You can call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. Wait times to speak to a representative are typically shorter in the morning, later in the week, and later in the month. Mondays are the busiest, and Fridays have shorter wait times, with the exception of the end of the day, when wait times steadily build to almost two hours by 5 p.m.

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If you want to review the average wait times for every weekday for every hour from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., visit the Contact Social Security By Phone webpage to see the full breakdown.

Outside business hours. You can call the SSA's automated telephone services to get recorded information and conduct some business 24 hours a day. Here are some tasks you can do with the automated service:

• Request a benefit verification letter
• Request a replacement Medicare Card
• Ask for the status of a claim
• Request a form SSA-1020 to apply for help with Medicare prescription drug costs
• Ask for a form SSA-1099, Social Security Benefit Statement, to request a replacement tax summary

Upcoming federal holidays

Below is a list of all of the federally recognized holidays in 2025 and when they are observed:

Holidays the federal government remains open

While there are 11 official federal holidays, there are many other significant cultural, religious, and commemorative dates that are observed across the country. While these holidays reflect America’s diversity and many people forgo work, school or regular activities, federal offices are open during these holidays.

This month, it's important to remember that federal offices are open on Good Friday and do not close the Monday after Easter Sunday.

Related Content

• Social Security Phone Wait Times: The Best Times to Call
• The Average Monthly Social Security Check: February 2025
• Social Security Payment Schedule for 2025