Social Security, facing pressure from DOGE, weighs big cuts to phone service

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post, via Bluesky

Social Security, facing pressure from DOGE, weighs big cuts to phone service
Agency considers ending phone program that helps with claims processing and is used by millions of elderly and disabled Americans.

March 12, 2025 at 12:04 pm

By Hannah Natanson, Lisa Rein, Elizabeth Dwoskin and Faiz Siddiqui

Under pressure from the U.S. DOGE Service team to root out alleged fraud, the Social Security Administration is considering dramatically curtailing the phone services that 73 million retired and disabled Americans rely on to apply for and access their earned government benefits.

Social Security leadership is now considering a proposal to end telephone service for claims processing and direct-deposit bank account transactions, instead directing elderly and disabled people to the internet and in-person field offices.

The change would disrupt Social Security’s internal operations and threaten its ability to serve the public, current and former officials warned, just as DOGE is targeting the agency for across-the-board staff cuts. They also noted that the agency’s toll-free number is a mainstay for older customers who do not have online access or who have trouble navigating the internet.

{snip, paywall. I'll try a few things.)

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/12/social-security-phone-doge-elderly-disabled/

---

See if you can get in via Joe.My.God.

Social Security To End Processing Claims By Phone
https://www.joemygod.com/2025/03/social-security-to-end-processing-claims-by-phone/
March 12, 2025

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Hat tip, TechDirt's Karl Bode at Bluesky

‪Karl Bode‬ ‪@karlbode.com‬
https://bsky.app/profile/karlbode.com
·
5m
at which point they'll run into "AI" systems that don't work

very innovative

‪Mike Madden‬ ‪@mikemadden.bsky.social‬
https://bsky.app/profile/mikemadden.bsky.social
·
7m
Under pressure from DOGE, Social Security may sharply cut back on phone service options for processing claims and direct-deposit changes, forcing millions to go in person to field offices or make changes online https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/12/social-security-phone-doge-elderly-disabled/

Social Security, facing pressure from DOGE, weighs big cuts to phone service
Agency considers ending phone program that helps with claims processing and is used by millions of elderly and disabled Americans.
www.washingtonpost.com

https://bsky.app/profile/mikemadden.bsky.social/post/3lk6xngjw6c2j

[Tootbsb]

1. Take away the fElons goverment contracts.

Tax all of their money at 90%

[we can do it]

2. Oh well

[Ray Bruns]

3. "instead directing elderly and disabled people to the internet and in-person field offices"

Because we all know how well elderly people are great with computers and can so easily travel.




My mother is 84 and has never used a computer and can only get out of the house if on of children drive her

[dalton99a]

8. +1

[SupportSanity]

10. They just started closing field offices.

There's a list of the closed offices floating around somewhere.

My guess is the field office closings is just the first wave of that.

If we've got to protest, they Wash DC will see the greatest number of wheelchairs ever! Traffic will be tied up for weeks.

Not just wheelchairs. Canes and walkers. Did you ever get hit with a cane? How about a walker?

We'll be ready!

[Bengus81]

4. So people needing to call the SS administration is waste according to Douch?

But spending $90K on a dog and pony show Tesla buy funded by taxpayers isn't waste? Glad Republicans in Congress are all over this ABUSE of the poor,elderly and literately everyone else. Uh huh........

[littlemissmartypants]

5. The perfect...

Compliment to the curtailment of the leases on the Social Security field offices that they are closing in every state.

Scroll down to look for yours...
https://www.doge.gov/savings

Source:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/03/gsa-mass-terminations-00209237
Inside GSA’s mass lease terminations

❤️

[Puppyjive]

6. social security does not have the staff

Can't happen. They don't have the staff.

[Shipwack]

7. Doesn't matter.

They don't care. They have no interest in having an agency doing its job.

[RazorbackExpat]

9. WTF is going on?

This shit is getting ridiculous

[turbinetree]

11. Hey.......... US Senate ................do you think that maybe just maybe you should call this illegal POS

in for questioning...............and ask him WTF are you doing...........privatizing it so that it can be robbed...............