Earlier this year, the Trump administration published a list of hundreds of federal properties that it was preparing to offload. One of the places identified for potential closure — because it was deemed “not core to government operations” — was New Hampshire’s northernmost social security office, in Littleton.
That list has since been taken down, and the federal government now says it’s taking a more incremental approach to evaluating its real estate portfolio. But that hasn’t assured many people for whom the Littleton office is a lifeline.
The Littleton location is one of six Social Security field offices in New Hampshire. Others are located in Concord, Keene, Manchester, Nashua and Portsmouth. More than 330,000 New Hampshire residents were receiving Social Security benefits as of December 2023, according to the most recent federal data.
Among those watching anxiously for news on the future of the Littleton office is Laverne Chamberlain, who was one of about 30 regulars gathered at the Littleton Area Senior Center on a recent Thursday.
Chamberlain said she relies on being able to stop by the local office to get a quick answer about her benefits or drop off income documentation. The nearest alternative would be the social security office in Concord, about 80 miles south. Getting there would be tough, because she doesn’t drive.
“I'd have to get a ride from somebody, a friend or somebody, because the bus only does Grafton County area, the senior bus,” Chamberlain said. “That’s how I get here, and to appointments, the Littleton senior bus.”
Another regular at the senior center, Andy Comeau, said he also thought it was a mistake for the federal government to single out the Littleton office. He suggested that if the federal government was looking to downsize its workforce, they could look at closing larger offices, such as in Nashua or Manchester.
“They got more employees,” he said, “so if they're trying to get rid of people, get rid of that one down there.”
Comeau also works as a dispatcher overseeing bus routes between Grafton County senior centers and the Littleton office. He said it’s clear that a lot of people across northern New Hampshire and parts of Vermont rely on this location.
In another corner of the senior center, Mary Ann King and a group of friends were gathered at what they called “the tea table” — but her thoughts on the office closure were less than demure.
“I want the damn thing to stay right here, period,” King said.
“Are you swearing on the radio?” senior center director Maureen Platt-Russell joked, noting this reporter’s presence.
“Damn ain’t swearing,” King said, evoking laughs from the group. “That's a little curse, but our Social Security building should stay right here. It's a nice building, and it's convenient for us seniors.”
Some have argued that the in-person social security offices are becoming obsolete, given widespread access to technology. But in Littleton, many said that’s not a perfect solution. Internet access is spotty across the region. And some people have privacy concerns about putting their personal information online.
Lilo Rheinstein has seen some of these barriers up close. He’s part of a group who are trying to help seniors navigate online benefits, and he said it’s important to remember that a lot of seniors don’t feel comfortable using a computer.
“I've heard people say, well, they should be forced to,” Rheinstein said. “It's not that simple.”
Rheinstein said he saw the differences in attitudes toward technology in his own home: His dad built a computer in their home, so they had one early on; but it took a long time for his mom to get used to it.
“My mother could never feel, never felt comfortable on a computer,” he said.
A few blocks away, foot traffic outside of the Littleton Social Security office on this particular afternoon was pretty slow. One person who declined to give her name before heading in for an appointment said she traveled nearly an hour south to get to this location. Depending on the federal government’s plans for this office, her commute could get a few hours longer.
