Social Security no-show phone appointments - is this common or just me?

It happens, but it's not as common as your neighbor's experience suggests. I've had about 8 phone appointments with SSA over the past few years (for my parents and myself), and only one was missed. For that one, I called SSA back, and they explained their agent had called out sick that day, but no one had reassigned her appointments. They rescheduled me for the next day. Some tips to improve your chances: - Confirm your appointment 1-2 days before by calling their main number - Make sure your phone number is correct in their system - Be ready 15 minutes before and after your scheduled time - If no call after 30 minutes, call them to check status Having said all that, for something as important as a SSDI continuing disability review (CDR), you might want the in-person appointment anyway. The documentation review is more thorough, and you can make sure everything is handled correctly.

OMG this literally JUST happened to me two days ago!!! I waited all morning for a call about my retirement application, took off work and everything, and NOTHING. When I called the 800 number they said the person was "out unexpectedly" but nobody bothered to tell me??? How hard is it to make a courtesy call?? Had to reschedule for next week and take ANOTHER day off. So irritated with SSA right now. Their system is so broken!!!

I had the same worry last month! I found this service called Claimyr that helped me actually get through to SSA quickly to confirm my appointment. They got me past the hold times (which were over 2 hours when I tried myself). I used it again when my appointment time passed with no call. The agent told me they were running 45 minutes behind that day and apologized. Check out their demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - the website is claimyr.com. Totally worth it to avoid waiting all day just to find out something went wrong.

i had 4 phone appointments with them last year and all of them happened. they called about 10 min late each time but they did call. make sure ur phone doesn't block unknown numbers tho cause thats how they show up

This whole thread is making me nervous! I have my SS retirement application phone appointment next Tuesday and I'm already anxious about the process. I hope they don't miss my call too.

I work as a benefits counselor and can provide some context on this issue. The no-show problem has gotten worse since the pandemic for several reasons: 1. SSA is severely understaffed (down approximately 7,000 employees) 2. Their appointment scheduling system doesn't always sync properly with agent workloads 3. Field offices are prioritizing in-person visits over phone appointments 4. Technical issues with their phone systems persist My recommendation for disability reviews specifically (CDRs) is to always opt for in-person if possible. These reviews directly impact your continued eligibility, and having face-to-face interaction reduces the chance of miscommunication. If you must do phone, call to confirm 24-48 hours before, and if they miss the appointment, immediately call the main number and explain what happened. Ask to speak with a supervisor if needed - they can often fit you in the same day rather than rescheduling weeks out.

when I had my disability review last year they were supposed to call at 1pm but didn't call till almost 3. i almost gave up thinking they forgot but the lady said they were just backed up. so maybe just plan to be available longer than u think? also make sure ur phone ringer is on lol i missed one call before cuz my phone was on silent 🤦‍♀️

My husband had three appointments for his retirement benefits last year. The first one they never called, the second one they called but got disconnected in the middle and never called back, and the third one finally worked out. It's definitely frustrating but they did eventually get it all sorted out.

Quick update on something I forgot to mention earlier - if you're having a continuing disability review (CDR), make sure you have a copy of your original medical evidence handy during the call. While they should have all this in their system, I've found it helpful to be able to reference specific doctor names, treatment dates, and diagnoses from your initial approval. Makes the whole process go much smoother and reduces the chance they'll schedule yet another follow-up appointment.

Update to my earlier comment - I called SSA today to check on my rescheduled appointment and they have NO RECORD of it in their system!!! I'm absolutely furious right now. The agent I spoke with today apologized but couldn't find any notes from my previous call. Now I'm rescheduled AGAIN for two weeks from now. This is the most dysfunctional government agency I've ever dealt with!