RingOwl
Try free
Free tool

Social Security phone hours

Social Security answers 800-772-1213from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time, Monday to Friday. Check whether it’s open right now, then switch to Medicare or USCIS if that’s who you need.

Social Security National 800 Number

800-772-1213

Monday–Friday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., your local time

TTY/TDD: 800-325-0778

Menu path to a person (reported by callers, not published by Social Security; menus change)

  1. 1At the prompt asking what you're calling about, say "agent" or "representative".
  2. 2If asked again, repeat it, or press 0.
  • If the estimated wait is over 5 minutes, you'll be offered a callback that keeps your place in line. Callbacks not completed by the end of the day are cancelled, so call in the morning if you plan to take one.
  • Automated services run 24 hours a day with no wait: a benefit verification letter, a replacement SSA-1099 or Medicare card, claim status and your local office's address.
  • Have your Social Security number and any letter from Social Security ready.

Best time to call: Social Security says waits are "typically shorter in the morning, later in the week, and later in the month." By the same logic, afternoons, early in the week and early in the month are usually busier.

Source: www.ssa.gov. Checked October 31, 2026.

Try these before you call

Social Security calls its website the best way to get help, and its automated phone service handles these 24 hours a day without a wait:

  • A benefit verification letter
  • A replacement SSA-1099 or Medicare card
  • The status of a claim
  • Your local office’s address
  • Changing your address or phone number, if you already get benefits

For anything else, call in the morning, later in the week and later in the month. More on the best time to call Social Security.

In development · invite only

Don't want to wait on hold? We're building that.

We're building an AI that dials the line, gets through the phone menu, waits on hold, and rings you the moment a real person picks up. It isn't live yet. Join the invite list and you'll be among the first to try it.

Email only. No spam, and we’ll never call or text you about it.

FAQ

What are Social Security's phone hours?
Representatives answer the National 800 Number, 800-772-1213, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in your local time zone, Monday to Friday. The automated services on the same number run 24 hours a day. TTY users call 800-325-0778.
Is Social Security open on Saturday?
Not by phone with a person. Live agents work Monday to Friday only, and the line is closed on federal holidays. The automated services (benefit letters, replacement SSA-1099 or Medicare card, claim status) still work on weekends.
When is the best time to call Social Security?
Social Security says waits are typically shorter in the morning, later in the week and later in the month. So a Thursday or Friday morning in the second half of the month is usually the quickest.
Does Social Security call you back?
Yes. If the estimated wait is over 5 minutes, you're offered a callback that keeps your place in line. Callbacks that haven't happened by the end of the day are cancelled rather than carried over, so take one early in the day.
How long is the wait to talk to Social Security?
Social Security reported an average speed of answer of half a minute in September 2026 and 5.6 minutes over fiscal year 2026. Those figures count anyone who accepts a callback as zero wait, and the callback itself can take much longer: the Inspector General found callbacks averaged well over an hour in 2025.

Related