IT’S REAL! Social Security Issues DIRE WARNING – Social Security SSI SSDI SSA Low Income Update 2023
It’s real. The Social Security Administration has released a dire warning about recipients not receiving their benefits on time. And this is something entirely new to everything that we’ve been following here on the channel. And it just seems like there’s so much going on regarding Social Security this year. We heard that Social Security was going to be the year of reform right now in 2023 because recipients are not receiving enough. They need to modify the Cola increases and the way that it’s calculated. Taxation needs to change to extend the Solvency. And now, in addition to that, we’re receiving new information just from the Social Security Administration that is coming out about warnings about people not receiving their payments. So if you’re somebody that collects Social Security, regardless of if it’s retirement, SSI, SSDI, veterans benefits, or any of these fixed income benefits from the Social Security Administration. You’re going to want to read this topic all the way through. I’m going to get you the latest articles. And in addition to that, stick around to the end, I’ve let you know about changes that are happening right now in the summer of 2023. Six big changes taking place that you’re going to want to know about.
Now, first up, Social Security Administration employees warn there’s a staffing issue as there is a funding crisis that will lead to people not receiving their benefits. They’re saying there is no question about it. People will not get their benefits if they do not fix this issue. Fix bad customer service at the Social Security Administration as well as they’re saying we already have a problem with poor service. They’re saying over half of the calls that were made in 2022 went unanswered. Let me know in the comments down below if you’ve experienced this. They’re saying they’ve got a problem. It’s about to get worse. And also, Social Security staffing crisis is getting dire. Unions are saying, and they’re saying, We are at the bare minimum. We need more people to help with Social Security. Otherwise, if there’s changes, if there’s fundings, if there’s all of this reform that takes place, they are not going to be able to keep up with it, and they’re saying that they are having issues now.
I know it just seems like one thing after the other. Some days we’ve got news about new bills that are being presented that are going to provide increases and change solvency issues. And then we’ve got word about cuts coming, and now we’ve also got word about shortages happening, and it is just insane. But let’s go ahead and dive right in and get you caught up on these articles and what they’re saying about potential cuts, when and where, and how this all could be happening. All right, so link in the description below to this article that literally just came out today that says social security employees warn staffing funding crisis will lead to people not receiving their benefits. So these are coming out from the employees. They’re making a stand saying that we have got to ramp things up for funding for the Social Security Administration’s office because they can’t handle the workload that’s coming in as more and more people are starting to pull from Social Security, and they’re saying we also need to increase the staffing for that as well in order for us to keep up. Now, the Social Security Administration’s employees have always showed up to serve the American people, rain or shine, and that’s exactly what they did last week when they gathered on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC under the rain to sound the alarm on the staffing and funding crisis that would lead to more Americans being denied their benefits that they deserve.
And we’ve heard this across the board. People are saying they’ve paid into this their entire lives. And now we’re hearing they’re not going to be getting their full benefits that they were told that they were going to receive. We’ve got a solvency issue, and we’re hearing that if this is not fixed, if everything remains the same, and Congress does not address this within the next eight to maybe 10 or 12 years, there’s going to be cuts across the board for everybody of about 20 % to 25 %. You will not receive full benefits due to the solvency issue. Due to the over a decade of congressional underfunding, we are now an agency in crisis. Said Jessica Le Point, President of the AFGE Council, 220 representing SSA field office employees across the country. Due to over a decade of congressional underfunding, so they are calling out Congress here saying, Congress, it is time to step up. Due to congressional underfunding, the union that represents a majority of the SSA workers has called you here today to sound the alarm that Social Security Administration is in a state of emergency. The fabric of America’s social safety net is deteriorating and you and your loved ones and our nation’s most vulnerable are at risk of falling through.
Now, SSA is in a state of emergency. Over the last decade, Social Security beneficiaries have increased by 25 %. Wow. So there’s been a major boom, which is why we’re seeing the shortfall. While SSA’s operating budget has decreased by 17 %, adjusted for inflation, and hiring is down by 50 %. Now, by the end of fiscal year 2022, SSA staffing levels reached a 25 year low. We’ve literally increased all the recipients by 25 %, and they have decreased hiring by 50 %, and staffing has decreased as well. Less people doing way more work. Now, the latest employee viewpoint survey found that SSA to be the worst large agency to work for in the federal government. So out of all federal programs, federal government programs, they are the worst. Staff attrition is sky high as workers leave for better jobs at other agencies and in the private sector. Now, SSA employees work very hard to serve the American public. According to the Partnership for a Public Service, SSA is ranked second overall as the public’s most trustworthy federal agency. Ssa employees are vetted with background checks upon entering public service and are fully trained on how to protect the public’s personal identification information.
Some positions require years of training and experience to reach maximum efficiency. It should be no surprise that despite all the best efforts of the Social Security Administration’s overworked employees, there are growing backlogs in the field, more service delays on the 800 number, and long lines at field offices across the country. Afge National President Everett Kelly told the crowd, We are here today to say that enough is enough. Kelly is asking Congress to pass a fiscal year 2024 budget with at least 16.5 billion for Social Security. Wow. Now, right now, there are talks about potential cuts. They’re being reviewed for all programs across the board and Social Security and Medicare make up about a third of what they’re inspecting right now in Congress, and they’re saying we need 16.5 billion to go to help improve Social Security. So we will see there is a lot going on with Social Security right now. Rich Corteur, President of AFGE Council 215, and the Union’s Chief Negotiator with Social Security Management, said SSA’s self taught training model makes employees feel unsupported with new hires, unprepared for the duties and ready to leave. We have folks leaving the agency because the training stinks.
I’d use another word, but we’re in polite company, but the training is terrible. The mentoring. Based on an agency focus group report we just got last week, it looks like it was written by us saying all the same things that we’ve been saying. There’s not enough time, there’s not enough accommodations to make sure that it actually works. So instead, our folks are telling us, and they’re telling management when they leave, I feel unsupported, I feel unprepared, and I feel set up to fail. Now, Nancy Altman, the President of Social Security Works, an organization that works to protect and expand Social Security benefits, said SSA spends less than a penny of every dollar on administrative costs, which is far more efficient than private sector retirement plans and insurance companies. Ssa employees are not appropriately compensated for their efficiency. She said that the money deducted from our paychecks for Social Security funds, both the benefits and the administration trade of costs. Social Security doesn’t add even a penny to the deficit, which is very interesting right now because we are hearing different things from Congress regarding Social Security, and there’s actually two different fundings that go into it, which is why they’re saying there is currently a little bit of an issue.
Now, in fact, it has accumulated a surplus of 2.8 trillion according to the most recent trustee report. Congress doesn’t appropriate a penny for Social Security. Rather, it limits how much that $ 2.8 trillion dollar for the Social Security Administration can spend on the administration itself. Yet despite the large surplus, despite Social Security’s efficiencies, Congress has staved Social Security for decades. Now, this is very interesting because we received a report from the Social Security Administration and from the CBO, and we actually saw that it is running massive deficits, that there is actually tons of money going out compared to what’s going in. Now, Altman thanked the Social Security Administration’s employees for working tirelessly to serve the American people to help them with their earned benefits. At Social Security Works, we fight for the American people, which means fighting for you. We are determined to protect and expand Social Security, expanding Social Security, including expanding field offices, workforces, increasing your pay and your benefits. Members of the Congress spoke at the rally to support the Social Security Administration’s employees and the work that they do. Representative John Larson, who is one of the ones that I let you know is presenting a bill right now to change and reform Social Security, said the SSA staffing needs to be increased so that the agency can do its job.
