Materials translated into 15 languages ensures information is understood by general public

Ensuring that individuals have access to public information materials regardless of their ability to communicate in English is important. Social Security provides program information in more than a dozen languages. On our website at www.socialsecurity.gov, visitors can find public information materials translated into 15 languages: Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, French, Greek, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

To meet this demand, we have worked hard during the past few years to increase our bilingual staff in our nearly 1,300 field offices across the country. We strive to have staff that reflects the various backgrounds of the community that they serve and who are able to speak languages common to that office’s service area.

We also have multilanguage options for anyone who calls our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. If someone prefers to conduct business over the 800 number in a language other than English, an interpreter will be contacted to help with the call. If the client’s business cannot be completed by phone, we will make an appointment for that person at a local Social Security office and arrange for an interpreter to be there. The interpreter service is provided free of charge.

Whether it is via the Internet, through face-to-face office visits or through our national 800 number, Social Security remains committed to providing quality service to an increasingly diverse American public.