Social Security called about my upcoming appointment - do they call to remind or cancel?

They're just calling to remind you! I got the same call last week before my disability review appointment. It's an automated system and sometimes it does cut off. As long as you haven't received an actual cancellation notice, your appointment is still on. They're really good about sending letters if anything changes with your appointment.

The 410 area code is Baltimore where a lot of SS offices are. They DO call to remind people of appointments but they ALSO call to cancel. I'd call them back to make sure.

That number (410-965-1234) is indeed a legitimate Social Security Administration number from their headquarters. They've implemented an automated appointment reminder system in the last year. The system calls beneficiaries a few days before scheduled appointments as a courtesy reminder. If they needed to cancel, they would typically: 1. Clearly state the cancellation in the message 2. Follow up with a letter 3. Try to reach you again by phone The message cutting off is just a technical glitch in their system. Your appointment on 1/30 is still valid unless you receive specific cancellation notification.

I had this EXACT thing happen two months ago!!!! The call cut off and I paniced and spent 3 HOURS trying to get thru to someone at SS!!! Total waste of time cuz when I finally got someone they said it was just a reminder and my apointment was still good. Their phone system is THE WORST!

This is standard procedure for SSA appointments. I work with Social Security cases regularly, and they implemented the automated reminder system to reduce no-shows. The 410-965-1234 number is legitimate (from their Baltimore headquarters). However, I always recommend calling your local office directly to confirm if you have any doubts. Use the office locator on ssa.gov to find your local office's direct number rather than calling the main line, which often has extremely long wait times. The message cutting off is a common technical issue with their system and doesn't indicate a cancellation. Unless you receive explicit notification of cancellation (typically by mail), your appointment remains scheduled.

just dont miss the appointment whatever u do!! i missed mine back in october and had to wait 3 more months to get rescheduled!!

I've been getting these reminder calls for the past year and they're legit! The automated system they use is pretty glitchy though - sometimes it cuts off, sometimes it repeats parts of the message twice. I've learned to just ignore the technical issues. As long as you haven't gotten a cancellation letter in the mail, you're good to go. The fact that they called means your appointment is definitely in their system and they're expecting you on 1/30. Don't stress about it!

I had a similar experience last month! Got the same kind of reminder call from SSA that cut off mid-sentence. I was so worried I called back, but after being on hold for over an hour, the representative confirmed it was just a standard reminder and my appointment was still scheduled. The automated system they use is definitely buggy - I've heard from others that the messages sometimes get cut short or sound garbled. As long as you haven't received any written notice about changes to your appointment, you should be all set for 1/30. The fact that they called means you're in their system and they're expecting you!

I work at a local SSA field office and can confirm that the 410-965-1234 number is legitimate - it's from our Baltimore headquarters. We started using this automated reminder system about 8 months ago to help reduce no-shows. The system does have some technical issues where calls cut off or sound choppy, but that doesn't mean anything is wrong with your appointment. If we needed to cancel or reschedule your appointment, you would receive a clear message stating that, plus we'd follow up with a written notice in the mail. The reminder calls are just courtesy notifications to help people remember their scheduled appointments. Your appointment on 1/30 is still valid unless you receive specific written notification otherwise. Don't stress about the cut-off message - it's just a glitch in our phone system that IT is working to fix. Just show up on time with all your required documents and you'll be all set!

I'm new to dealing with SSA but I had to chime in - this thread has been SO helpful! I have my first disability determination appointment coming up next month and I was already nervous about the process. Now I know that if I get one of these reminder calls and it cuts off, I shouldn't panic. It's really reassuring to see so many people sharing their experiences and especially hearing from someone who actually works at SSA. Thanks everyone for being so supportive of each other - this community is amazing for newcomers like me who are just figuring out how all this works!

As someone who just went through my first SSA appointment process last month, I can totally relate to your anxiety about that cut-off message! I had the exact same thing happen - got a call from that same 410 number that just ended abruptly mid-sentence. I spent the whole weekend worrying about it until I saw my neighbor who's been dealing with SSA for years, and she told me their phone system is notoriously glitchy. Sure enough, I showed up to my appointment and everything was fine - they were expecting me and had no record of any cancellation attempts. The staff even mentioned that they get a lot of people asking about these cut-off reminder calls because it's such a common issue with their automated system. My advice: don't let it stress you out! If you haven't gotten a letter in the mail saying your appointment is cancelled, you're good to go. Just show up on 1/30 with all your paperwork and you'll be all set. The fact that they called at all means you're definitely in their system and they're planning on seeing you!

I just wanted to add my voice to this reassuring chorus! I've been dealing with SSA for about two years now for my disability benefits, and I can confirm that these reminder calls with technical glitches are super common. I've probably gotten a dozen of these calls over the past year, and at least half of them either cut off or had some kind of audio issue. What I've learned is that SSA's phone systems are honestly pretty outdated, but their appointment scheduling system is actually quite reliable. If there was any real issue with your appointment - cancellation, rescheduling, whatever - you would definitely get a clear message and/or a letter in the mail. They're very thorough about that kind of communication. The 410 number is legit (I've gotten calls from it many times), and the fact that they called means your appointment on 1/30 is absolutely still on their calendar. Don't stress about the technical glitch - just show up prepared and you'll be fine! This community has helped me so much over the years, and I'm glad we could all help ease your worries about this.

I'm so glad you posted this question because I was literally about to ask the same thing! I got a call from that exact same number yesterday about my appointment next week, and it also cut off mid-sentence. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - it's such a relief to know this is just a common glitch with their automated system and not something to worry about. As a newcomer to dealing with SSA, I was really anxious about whether the cut-off meant something was wrong, but seeing all these experienced community members confirm it's just their outdated phone system makes me feel so much better. Thanks for asking this question and thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly why this community is so valuable for people like us who are still learning how all this works!

I'm really glad I found this community! I'm new to dealing with SSA and just got approved for disability benefits last month. I haven't had any appointment calls yet, but reading through this thread is so helpful for knowing what to expect. It's reassuring to see how everyone here supports each other through these confusing government processes. The fact that so many people have had the same experience with cut-off reminder calls, and that someone who actually works at SSA confirmed it's just a system glitch, makes me feel much more prepared for when I inevitably get one of these calls. Thanks to Carmen for asking this question and to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical information newcomers like me need!

As someone who's been dealing with SSA for about six months now, I can definitely confirm what everyone else is saying here! I've gotten probably 4-5 of these reminder calls from that same 410 number, and at least 2 of them had some kind of technical issue - either cutting off abruptly or having really poor audio quality where parts of the message were garbled. The first time it happened I was convinced something was wrong and spent way too much time worrying about it. What I've learned is that their automated system is really unreliable from a technical standpoint, but their actual appointment scheduling is solid. Like others have mentioned, if there was a real issue with your appointment, they would make sure you got a clear message AND follow up with written documentation. The glitchy calls are honestly just par for the course with their outdated phone infrastructure. Your appointment on 1/30 is definitely still good to go - the fact that they called at all means you're in their system and they're planning to see you. Just show up with all your paperwork and don't give that cut-off message another thought! This community has been so helpful for me in learning what's normal vs. what's actually concerning when dealing with government agencies.

I'm completely new to dealing with SSA and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I have my very first appointment scheduled for next month and was already feeling pretty anxious about the whole process. Reading Carmen's question and everyone's responses has taught me so much about what to expect, especially regarding these reminder calls. It's incredibly reassuring to know that if I get a call that cuts off, it's just a technical glitch and not something to panic about. Having input from someone who actually works at SSA (thanks CyberSiren!) plus all these real experiences from community members makes me feel so much more prepared. This is exactly the kind of practical information that newcomers like me need to navigate these government systems. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where we can learn from each other's experiences!

I'm brand new to this community and to dealing with SSA in general - I just applied for disability benefits last week and am still waiting to hear about scheduling my first appointment. This entire thread has been SO educational for me! I had no idea about these automated reminder calls or that they frequently have technical issues like cutting off mid-message. Reading everyone's experiences, especially hearing from CyberSiren who actually works at SSA, has given me such valuable insight into what to expect when I eventually get my appointment scheduled. Carmen, thank you for asking this question - it's exactly the kind of real-world information that newcomers like me need to understand how these government systems actually work in practice versus what we might assume. This community seems amazing for helping people navigate all the confusing aspects of dealing with SSA!

I'm so grateful for this community! I'm completely new to dealing with SSA - I just started the application process for my elderly mother's benefits last month and have been feeling pretty overwhelmed by all the procedures and systems. Reading through this entire thread has been like getting a crash course in what to expect from SSA's communication methods. The fact that these reminder calls frequently have technical glitches but don't actually indicate any problems with appointments is such crucial information that I never would have known otherwise. Carmen, your question has created an incredibly valuable resource for newcomers like me! And having community members like CyberSiren who actually work at SSA share their insider knowledge makes all the difference in understanding how these government systems really function. Thank you all for being so welcoming and informative - I already feel much more confident about navigating this process knowing I have this supportive community to learn from!

I'm completely new to this community and just starting my SSA journey - I have my first ever appointment coming up in February and was already feeling pretty anxious about the whole process. Reading through this entire conversation has been absolutely incredible for easing my nerves! Carmen, thank you so much for asking this question because I had no idea these reminder calls even existed, let alone that they frequently have technical issues like cutting off mid-message. The fact that we have community members like CyberSiren who actually work at SSA sharing insider knowledge is amazing - it's so reassuring to know that these glitches are just routine technical problems and not something to worry about. All of your experiences have taught me that as long as I don't get a clear cancellation message or letter, my appointment should be good to go even if the reminder call sounds weird. This community seems incredible for helping newcomers like me understand what's actually normal versus what's worth being concerned about when dealing with government systems. I feel so much more prepared now knowing what to expect! Thanks everyone for being so welcoming and informative.