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Under the guise of “preventing fraud,” the Social Security Administration (SSA) is planning to stop phone-line claim services to those who have earned their benefits. Even though — as explained in the next article — this fraud problem is virtually non-existent due to the rigorous verification process that occurs, when a person applies by phone.
If this “policy change” goes into effect, it will hurt those folks — for a variety of reasons — who find it very difficult to make the “in-office” visits. Never mind the fact, that the Trump SSA is also planning to close offices around the country, and slash staffing to the bone.
Slash the Social Security workforce that is already woefully understaffed — whose additional work-load is about to go through the roof ...
EXCLUSIVE: Memo details Trump plan to sabotage the Social Security Administration
by Judd Legum, Popular Information — Mar 17, 2025
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Because the SSA serves a large population that is either older or physically disabled, many cannot access the internet. Under the new system, this would force these populations to visit an office to have their claim processed. The [Acting Deputy SSA Commissioner Doris] Diaz memo estimates it would require 75,000 to 85,000 in-person visitors per week to SSA's offices to implement the policy.
SSA offices do not currently have the resources to handle an influx of in-person appointments of this size. In 2023, the most recent data available, there were about 119,128 daily visits, on average, to SSA offices. Eight-five thousand more week visits would be a 14% increase. SSA offices no longer accept walk-ins and the wait time for an appointment, even before these changes, averaged over a month.
The memo anticipates creating a huge surge in demand for in-person appointments as the SSA slashes staff and closes offices. Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek has announced that he will terminate 7,000 workers, about 12% of the workforce. Meanwhile, dozens of SSA offices are being shuttered. Some people need to travel more than 100 miles to get to the nearest location. As the SSA limits services that could be provided over the phone, it is ending in-person services at some offices, converting them to phone-only.
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Hat-tip to Rachel Maddow for reporting on this important story tonight, and for interviewing the reporter who got the above Scoop. Insiders think this is an effort to ‘break Social Security’ from the inside, or at the least its perceived effectiveness in the eyes of the public.
'An effort to break the agency': Memo exposes plan to ruin Social Security
MSNBC — 03/17/2025
At minimum, this will increase wait times excessively, create long delays in getting benefits, and frustrate over-worked staff to their breaking-point, according to the details within this next article. At worst, some people will never get their benefits, that they spent a life-time to earn.
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"The [SSA] agency plans to reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure, with a significant focus on functions and employees who do not directly provide mission critical services," the SSA said in a news release Friday afternoon. "Social Security recently set a staffing target of 50,000, down from the current level of approximately 57,000 employees."
Advocates say long wait times for services have plagued the agency for years, and its current staffing is already at about a 50-year low.
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"The public is going to suffer terribly as a result of this," the source wrote to NPR. "Local field offices will close, hold times will increase, and people will be sicker, hungry, or die when checks don't arrive or a disability hearing is delayed just one month too late."
"Hopefully Congress takes note of the mass resignation of the Regional Commissioners and starts asking questions," the source concluded.
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the mass resignation of the Regional Commissioners … Hmmm?
by Erich Wagner and Natalie Alms, Government Excecutive — Feb 26, 2025
Most of the Social Security Administration’s regional commissioners have decided to retire at the end of this week, following mysterious meetings with agency leaders about plans to slash its workforce.
At least five of the eight regional commissioners whose offices oversee and support the agency’s frontline offices across the country are leaving, according to a source familiar with the agency and an SSA employee not authorized to speak on the record.
The Social Security Administration had largely been spared by the Trump administration’s early efforts to cut staff across government, receiving exemptions for frontline workers from the “deferred-resignation” program, Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, and the purge of workers who had been recently hired or promoted. But that apparently changed this week, triggering the wave of retirement announcements.
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Regional commissioners LeeAnn Stuever, Rick Lenoir, Rose Mary Buehler, and Raymond Egan are also leaving [in addition to Howard Bowles], according to a source familiar with the situation.
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Were these SSA ‘head honchos’ forced out — or simply given ‘an ultimatum’ that they could not refuse?
Inquiring reporters — and congressional reps — should really want to know.
Doncha think?
Maybe more than a few hopeful, would-be retirees too … eh?
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Sounds like the perfect topic to bring up at that next Dem Town-hall, too.
We EARNED these Benefits — so why are Republicans making it so DAMN hard to get them?
Think again Franklin D., think again. We have the DAMNEST Politicians ever conceived, who say otherwise. They think <i>the Millionaires</i> are the ones who need the most public help !?!
