Social Security Administration

No complaints! I went to change my name after getting married and it was a breeze! Took only about 20 minutes to get thru 12 people before me and my business!

This review is for the whole SS system. They have taken $ 1200 from me «by mistake» because some worker didn’t do his or her job. It’s my money not theirs but I am having a horrible time trying to get it back and we’re going into our 4^th month.

Dragging my feet after a month to change my last name, I decided to brave the office on a Friday morning. After waiting an hour for my # to be called, I was asked by the clerk to show my marriage license. I had a copy but not the original. (My mistake) I was told I could come back and be taken care of right away with ANY of the reps. with an appointment.
I came back checked in with an appointment and was called within two minutes. The woman checked my ticket but said she seen no appointment for me. She asked who helped me and I said the man on the end. She typed info in the computer and said I would have to wait for him, she seen no appointment.
After 10 minutes he called my name after helping other people and said he didn’t see me sitting there. What? All that typing to put a visual on a person you said would get in immediately? What if you Hadn’t see me? Come on people days off are not meant to be sitting in an understaffed, germ filled environment with clerks giving half baked info. Good to see our tax dollars at work.

I know a lot of people bitch about places like this — I’ve done it plenty myself. But compared to the hellhole in San Jose, this office is clean, well lit, ventilated. The employees were helpful and polite. Due to my own complicated situation I had to come back, and the person I worked with made that return visit as easy and expedient as possible.
No one likes to be caught up in our nation’s engine of bureaucracy, but at least this one is reasonably run and maintained.

I went here this morning thinking it would be a quick pit stop on my errand running day. I was shocked to see how few social security offices are in the area and how many fewer employees they have working in them. I thought OR was better than CA in that department but alas I would give anything to go back to my 10 minute wait in Cali. I went in just to do a marital name change and I walked out without having it done. I got there a half hour after it opened and I had to wait outside as every seat and wall were taken already. From outside (even in the little entry way) you cannot see the TV that the numbered called comes up on and no the security guard will not tell you what number was just called. The security guard there is rude and seems to think he’s guarding the friggin’ president. I watched him talk down to the non-​English speakers who needed help checking in and he sat in his chair watching as elderly and disabled people tried opening the doors with difficulty to which I spent a half hour holding because I couldn’t stand to watch all the younger people stare without lifting a finger. Young mothers with 3 children taking up 5 chairs laying kids down while elderly ladies stood leaning on the wall. This is not the Beaverton population I’ve come to know and love. SSA office is like the waiting room to hell, everybody looks miserable & pissed at the world.
I seriously wish they had a separate window for people coming in with simple things like name changes and replacement cards. Those seeking social security benefits or information on how to get a card when they’re not a citizen yet should have their own line as they take 10x longer than the people who aren’t there trying to get any money. Of course getting money out the government is a process that requires several visits, lots of arguing and from the looks of this office 2 or more translators.
I ended up taking an application and a business reply envelope (that they had colored out the prepaid postage on!!) and will send in my paperwork. Way to encourage young people to save for retirement! I never want to have to visit this office again. Awful.

I’m helping friends who are limited English speakers to change their baby’s last name on her social security card. I called SSA to ask what ID we needed to bring to make the change. They told me I had to bring her old birth certificate, her corrected birth certificate, and fill out the SSA form for a name change.
I waited in line for two hours at the Beaverton office – par for the course I understand – then was called to speak to a really burned out, somewhat antagonistic woman. She told me the birth certificates are not acceptable ID. (Which seems odd as that’s what got the child her SS card in the first place!)
I asked what would be acceptable? She said «school records». I said the child is too young for school, and has no school records. She said, «immunization record», I said, that has already been amended to show the new last name, was that okay? She shrugged. I asked what for sure could I bring so that I didn’t have to go through this again. She said, «school records» I said she doesn’t have school records. She shrugged.
I left in utter frustration, dreading the day i will be forced to deal with this office for myself!

I’m not going to lie — coming here is absolutely miserable. I had to wait for 2 hours to turn in my paperwork to be issued a new social security card… for the entire time, the waiting room was packed full of folks who ranged from irritated to miserable and it seemed like half of them were locked in a contest to see who could cough out the most germs.
While I was waiting, I had the brilliant idea to call the SSA and try to schedule an appointment. However, the soonest available was a month and a half out. So I stayed put.
With that said, once I finally got up to a window, the process took about 5 minutes and my card arrived 3 days before the earliest day it was supposed to even be mailed out.
I never ever ever want to have to go back there again, but when thinking about how many people have to get pumped through there and how relatively few employees there are, I find it hard to hold it against the folks at this location. Perhaps the SSA as an entire organization has some thinking to do about how it handles business, but the people who work here did alright by me.

This place is a joke. The guard gave me a ticket, but a hispanic one and I got yelled at my the hispanic lady for «taking the wrong ticket» and when I tried to explain my self she cut me off.

Fifteen months after getting hitched, I finally went in to change my last name on my Social Security Card. I decided to go in at 11, in a futile attempt to avoid any «lunch hour rush» that I thought might occur. I found these things out:
It doesn’t matter what time you come in, every seat will be filled with people.
Per the season, each and every one of these people will be sneezy and coughy.
This makes me apprehensive to occupy a newly available seat, despite the fact that I had to wait precisely one hour. To the minute.
If the previous notes don’t tickle your germy-​paranoia bone, don’t think that you can take up this hour eating the lunch that you picked up on the way here. No food, no drinks.(Appendix note A)
You will, however, be entertained by Star Trek posters telling you to «Go Boldly» to the Social Security website. You may not take a picture of the aforementioned posters to show your nerd friends, because the «security officer» said so. Also photographs are dangerous. Never forget that, kids.
You will probably have a lady sitting near you telling you her life story and what a horrible card fate has dealt her because she has been waiting for her number to be called FOREVER.(Appendix note B)
When your number is called, you will not be greeted warmly by the person in charge of taking care of your paperwork. You will note that they did not make eye contact with you at any point during the exchange. We are all business up in here.
You will leave feeling satisfied but unsettled. At least there is a dedicated parking lot. This experience was decidedly A-​OK.
Appendix:
A. I saw two people standing outside the window in the cold horfing down their cheeseburgers eyeballing the «security officer» the whole time. You could say they were some cold stares.
B. You will later find out that at the time she was talking to you she had been there approximately 15 minutes.