How Does the Social Security Claiming Process Vary by Race?

Retiring baby boomers are increasing the demand for services from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) at a time when budget constraints and retiring staff are limiting the agency’s capacity to deliver them. Using online services – rather than contacting a representative – offers a way for SSA to meet increased demand with fewer resources. However, prior CRR survey research suggests that almost two-thirds of retirees contact SSA in person or by phone during their claiming process and non-White individuals are more likely to do so than White individuals. Using these same survey data, this brief explores whether racial differences exist in when and why individuals contact SSA. The discussion proceeds as follows. The first section reviews the CRR’s 2021 survey on individuals’ claiming process. The second section examines whether the survey data show any racial differences in when people reach out to SSA representatives. The third section explores any racial differences in the reasons why people contact the agency. The fourth section looks at the racial impact of policies designed to reduce the need to interact with SSA. The final section concludes that the racial differences in the timing and reasons for reaching out to SSA are small compared to differences in the share that choose to contact SSA at all. That said, policies that reduce the need to contact SSA to obtain basic information or correct data errors could reduce racial differences in contact rates.