Claims Workers Headed Back To Work

More than 1,100 claims workers at regional Social Security Administration offices will be back at work Monday in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska, the agency’s regional office announced Friday.

Workload volumes will be very heavy for the next few weeks as the agency scrambles to cover ground lost during four days of government shutdown, regional Commissioner Donald N. Mings said.

Scores of hearings and more than 2,000 appointments for filing benefit claims were canceled in the region this week.

Most Social Security Administration employees and thousands of other “non-essential” government workers have been furloughed since much of the government shut down Tuesday.

Clinton said that he was recalling 50,000 SSA workers nationwide, as well as 1,700 employees with the Department of Veterans Affairs and 100 Medicare workers to process applications and claims.