Those seeking Social Security information in Demopolis will go to a new location beginning July 8. The Social Security office in Selma will begin sending representatives to the Theo Ratliff Activity Center. Previously, a Social Security representative would provide information at Rooster Hall.

“We are trying to provide better service for our citizens here in Demopolis by relocating our monthly meeting location,” said Jimmy Brown, the district manager with the Social Security office in Selma.

“One of the advantages to moving to the Ratliff Center is the computer room. Citizens can take advantage of it and access a lot of our online services and things that they normally would have to call long-distance for and wait to have it mailed to them.”

Brown said people would also be able to apply for benefits online at the Ratliff Center, rather than drive to the office in Selma. He also mentioned that the success of the Ratliff Center’s computer classes was encouraging.

“It’s a time-saver for them, and it’s a time-saver for us,” said William Ferguson, a service representative with the Social Security office. “This way, we can direct our efforts towards things that may be more complicated or to those people who are less comfortable sitting in front of a computer.”

A Social Security representative will be at the Ratliff on the second Thursday of the month from 9 to 10:30 a.m. to answer questions or help people file claims or use online services.

“One of the things we do is try to pull in as many resources as we can,” said TRAC director Ed Ward. “Social Security is an excellent resource to bring into the facility. There are several senior citizens in the community who would benefit from having the Social Security representative in this building.”