Social Security reduces Arkansas office hours, blames budget cuts

A reduction in funding has lead the Social Security Administration to reduce public hours at Arkansas field offices, the agency said Thursday.

Officials issued a statement saying the offices will close at 3 p.m. each weekday beginning Nov. 19. And beginning Jan. 2, the offices will close at noon on Wednesdays.

State Social Security offices are currently open until 3:30 p.m. each weekday.

"While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims work without incurring the cost of overtime," the agency said in a statement. "The significantly reduced funding provided by Congress under the continuing resolution for the first six months of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the agency to provide the overtime needed to handle service to the public as it has done in the past."

Offices will also be closed to the public the day after Thanksgiving this year so employees can focus on "backlogged workloads," the office said.

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