We the people have had enough of the Social Security Administration in Portland, Oregon. Their staff constructively denies service to individuals already determined to be entitled and hides behind a cloak of anonymity to avoid accountability. We are here to destroy that cloak unless they start doing their jobs properly.
Denial of Service
One would think that getting approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) would be the hard part, but it seems the hard part is getting paid what you’re owed after a judge finally rectifies errors made by the staff at SSA in Portland. This is because they don’t answer the phone, hang up on you, fail to call when phone appointments are made, refuse to make in person appointments, and act as if in person appointments were not made.
Disconnected on Hold
When calling the Portland, Oregon Social Security Office you’re always put on hold automatically for at least 20 minutes. Unlike the national hotline, which gives an estimated wait time, the Portland office gives you no idea of how long it will take to speak with someone or if you’ll be able to at all. Usually, you’ll be given an automated explanation that their representatives are busy helping other people followed by a request to call back later that day before you’re disconnected. The disconnect always happens after spending at least 20 minutes on hold. In one case, someone called 10 times in one day and didn’t get through at all.
We will not tolerate being disconnected automatically. We demand accurate wait time estimates and the option to wait for someone.
Hanging Up
If you’re lucky to get through to a staff member then good luck. Their incompetence and generally disrespectful attitude will almost always provoke angry responses from their victims. The most common response to victims for calling them out for their own mistakes is to hang up on them.
We demand that SSA employees no longer hang up on people.
Not Calling
When phone appointments are made, they rarely call. This is quite frustrating because you have to make the appointments weeks in advance at which point you’re supposed to receive a confirmation in the mail. If you receive a confirmation, it often gives you an hours long window to wait by your phone for their call. Often, they don’t call at all and send you something in writing claiming to have spoken with you that day to discuss what should have been discussed. Then you have to start the process all over.
We demand that phone appointments truly be made and that they be approximate so that we can plan our days.
Refusing to Make Appointments
SSA staff in Portland will often refuse to make appointments or at least the right appointment type. If you ask for an in-person appointment, then they will refuse citing a “policy preference” for phone appointments. This remains the case even when they have been informed that their co-workers typically hang up during almost every conversation that they don’t end with a lie which makes an in-person visit necessary.
We demand that appointments of all types be made upon request.
Acting as if Appointments Were Not Met
We suspect this of happening to us in the near future. We know of someone who was told by the national office that they were scheduled for an in-person appointment in Portland in the near future but received no written confirmation. This is likely due to the person at the national level wanting him off the phone and just claiming to have made an appointment to accomplish that. We suspect that he will show up on time, be told no appointment is in their record.
We demand that SSA employees schedule appointments when they say they will.
Destroying the Cloak
SSA employees hide behind glass windows in their offices which have armed guards and metal detectors at the front door. They almost always refuse to give their name or will only give a first name. This happens in-person and over the phone. We will make it our mission to identify as many alternative contact points as we can so that the decision as to when and where to address Social Security matters is no longer up to Social Security. It is up to us the people.
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)
We use lawfully obtained publicly available information to expose the identities and locations of SSA employees associated with Portland, Oregon. We do this using payroll data, background check databases, social media research, and other techniques.
To see our work so far view the Staff Roster.
First Amendment Audits
While we have never conducted a First Amendment Audit ourselves, we’ve loved watching them on YouTube for years and would strongly consider conducting some of our own should Social Security continue to disrespect us. Such audits often involve filming from public property and questioning targets at inopportune moments.
Other
We will always try to think of new ways to hold these people accountable for their actions. If you can think of anything, please contact us.
Conclusion
Social Security employees in Portland, Oregon have hidden behind a cloak of anonymity that is being destroyed as you read this. Their best option is to start treating the public with respect by ceasing and desisting from constructively denying services.
NOTE: This manifesto is a work in progress. We reserve the right to add new problems to the list as they arise. Likely updates will probably include things like calculating pay incorrectly or docking payments from people to make up for their own mistakes.