Hello

Has anyone had any luck in contacting Social Security on their contact centre for "foreign"? The number is: 410-965-0160. Every time I attempt to make contact, I'm on hold for 20-25 minutes then a message states "we cannot handle your call right now. Please call at a different time". This has happened several times!!!!

Does anyone know if there are "better" times to call?


Thank you!

Not heard of that number before, but your experience mirrors my experience trying to contact SSA at their office in the London Embassy. I tried a total of 45 times one Tuesday morning and each time I would get an initial message saying their lines were open, putting you through now, to a different voice message saying all our agents are busy try again later and dropping the line.

Are you in US or UK? If in UK, I think you are expected to use FBU London. But don't expect anything different. I've been trying to get an answer on their phone since last May - similar experience to what you describe. I've literally attempted probably over 200 times. I don't know what happened around last May but their phone line has been unreachable since then and their response to messages has been very patchy. And they have made several errors in terms of processing forms and applying WEP.

Would you happen to have the number for SSA in the Embassy? Probably with all of the recent turmoil, it's going to be nearly impossible to reach anyone since there are very few employees remaining.


Thank you!!

Sure. +44 20 7891 3926

lines are open 9:30 to 1 Tuesdays and Wednesdays only. (I just checked their website and it now says Tuesday through Thursday!)

https://uk.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen...benefits-unit/

Here is an additional option - although this ostensibly appears to be the same as above, in practice I found this often was more successful in at least being put on hold rather than immediately hitting the "not available" message.

020-7499-9000 then press for extension 23926, then press option 1.

To the OP: Once you have called them a couple of times, you can anticipate the recorded messages (that go on for quite a long time) and simply press the relevant option key as soon as the recorded message starts, rather than waiting until the message gets to the end. So, for example, with Durham Lad's number above (020 7891 3926), as soon as you get through and start hearing the recorded message, you can press option 1. (Best to listen all the way through first, though, in case the options/message have changed).

Another thing I have found in the past is that the opening hours on the recorded message did not match the opening hours on the Web site - so, it's best to listen to the recorded message all the way through for at least the first time you try calling.

This option does not work. I just tried it again and once you listen to the long message and get to the bit where it says you can enter the 5 digit extension and put in 23926, it doesn't recognize the extension.

Better to go direct 020 7891 3926.

Ah, OK, I haven't tried calling them since late 2024 ... though I just noticed maybe I mis-typed the extension number (should possibly be 3926 instead of 23926 ...?)

I recall being much more successful going this route (i.e., at least was put on hold rather than straight to the "computer says no" recording). But in the end, I'd still fail (it would play the recording after being on hold for 20 minutes). TBH, I've given up the will to keep trying ....

Going direct is definitely the best approach in my opinion. I sat with my mobile phone and pressed redial then immediately option 1 to get put through. Takes no time at all really which is why I was able to call them 45 times one morning without getting through to an agent.

They have since sent me an email and pushed my application onto Baltimore where it has been sitting for the past few weeks. I’ll probably try to call the Baltimore office next month if I don’t hear anything. I had requested benefits to start on my 70th birthday which was 3 weeks ago.

I have tried for 3 months to get through to London to see where my SS application was. It was at stage 2 on 13 November 2024 and I have had no responses to emails for any forms that I have submitted. NOT A WORD. Is there any thing else I can do? This is in the London Embassy Fbu

I NEVER managed to get through to the FBU, even tried 45 times one morning with no success. In the end I decided to call the SSA in the USA.

On March 3rd this year, since my application had been in limbo for many weeks (Nov 12) at step 2 waiting on an agent in Baltimore I girded my loins at 4pm my time (11am EST) and using my Skype account called the number for the Baltimore office which I expect is a general number. I was on hold for 3 hours and 16 minutes before a most helpful lady answered and after 10 minutes talking with her I believe she is going to get the application out of the bottom of the bucket it appears to be in. She said she could see no reason at all why it hadn’t been processed as they had all the information they need. She checked that all my details are correct, address in England, my UK mobile phone number etc. She said she was going to send a message to get this rolling and I should expect a benefit verification letter within 20 days or a request for more information.

Before hanging up, I made sure to tell her that I know she and her colleagues are working hard in difficult circumstances, that they are doing a great job and that I really appreciate all of their efforts. I reckon my 3+ hours on hold is nothing compared to what they are going through right now.

Within 2 weeks I received the benefit letter and since April the money has been arriving at the start of every month into my UK bank account.

I called FBU, they didn't provide much information so were not terribly helpful. I also called the 1-800 number durham_lad provided and was on hold for 4 hours!!! It was worth waiting though as I spoke with a rep who provided detailed information about my benefit, the timeline for processing, and a date for the first payment. She also updated my banking information.