Residents headed to the Pike County courthouse to visit the remote office of the U.S. Social Security Administration in Troy this week found a sign taped to the door that read, “The Social Security office will be closed until further notice due to budget cuts.”

According to Probate Judge Wes Allen, the closing of the office doors came without much warning.

“All we know is what they put on the front door,” Allen said. “We got a phone call and they said, ‘we would not be open, because of budget cuts and constraints, and will be closed until further notice.’”

Allen said he wanted the public to know so no one would “waste a trip” to the courthouse to visit the Social Security offices that are no longer open on their usual Monday and Thursday business days.

Patti Patterson, Regional Communications Director for the Social Security Administration located in Atlanta, said she was aware of the reasons for the closing of the remote office in Troy.

“The office there in Troy is a remote site. In other words, employees from our Montgomery Social Security office would travel to Troy twice a week and conduct business. What we have done is temporarily suspended traveling to these remote offices all over the country, not just in Troy, Ala., while we assess our fiscal 2011 budget,” Patterson said. “So, it’s a temporary suspension of us going to that particular site.”

Patterson said, although the doors to the remote office in Troy are closed, people should not worry too much.

“There are several other ways people can conduct business with us,” Patterson said. “A lot of services are available that can be done online at our website and we have a number that people can call to conduct business, or people can go to the Montgomery office to conduct their business while the remote office in Troy is closed.”

The Social Security Administration website is www.socialsecurity.gov and the number to call for questions or concerns about any business needs is 1-800-772-1213.