PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A group of Republican senators including Sen. Susan Collins of Maine on Tuesday called on the Social Security Administration to reopen its field offices to the public.

Collins said the closure of the offices for more than 20 months has taken a toll on residents who need to access Social Security services. They said in a statement that the suspension “created a disruption to the millions of new applicants and beneficiaries receiving Social Security benefits.”

The administration stopped in-person operations at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators said the closure has been especially difficult for older residents in rural areas.

Collins was also among a larger group of senators that last month called on the federal Office of Personnel Management, General Services Administration and Office of Management and Budget to transition federal workers back to in-person work.