Social Security Administration's main campus in Woodlawn, Md. A new congressional report says the Social Security Administration has been closing a record number of field offices, even as millions of baby boomers approach retirement. The agency blames budget constraints. As a result, seniors seeking information and help from the agency are facing increasingly long waits in person and on the phone.

WASHINGTON — Even as millions of baby boomers approach retirement, the Social Security Administration has been closing a record number of field offices, forcing more and more seniors to seek help online instead of in person, according to a congressional report released Wednesday.

The agency blames budget constraints.

As a result, seniors seeking information and help from the agency are facing increasingly long waits, in person and on the phone, the report said.

Social Security has closed 64 field offices since 2010, the largest number of closures in a five-year period in the agency’s history, according to a report by the bipartisan staff of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. In addition, the agency has closed 533 temporary mobile offices that often serve remote areas.

Hours have been reduced in the 1,245 field offices that are still open.

The report questions the agency’s criteria for choosing which offices to close, saying the impact on local communities is rarely taken into account.

“Seniors are not being served well when you arbitrarily close offices and reduce access to services,” said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., chairman of the Aging Committee. “The closure process is neither fair nor transparent and needs to change.”

The closings come as applications for retirement and disability benefits are soaring, a trend that will continue as aging baby boomers near retirement.

More than 47 million people receive Social Security retirement benefits, nearly a 20 percent increase from a decade ago. About 11 million people receive Social Security disability benefits, a 38 percent increase from a decade ago.