topic Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article) in Social Security

📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

SummerOnTheWay1 — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 18:30:56 GMT

FROM THE ARTICLE: AARP calls for reassurances from SSA on commitment to customer service.

By Andy Markowitz, AARP.

Published February 28, 2025.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced plans for a “massive” restructuring of its operations on Friday that “will include significant workforce reductions” affecting thousands of jobs.

A Feb. 28 statement from the SSA set a target of reducing the SSA workforce from about 57,000 employees to 50,000, a 12 percent cut.

USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/social-security/ssa-workforce-reductions.html

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

pl48622632 — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 18:36:33 GMT

AARP needs to do more to protest the reduction of workforce at SSA.

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

SummerOnTheWay1 — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 22:56:52 GMT

📎 [3/1/25] I agree @pl48622632 !!! 👍

[*** @pl48622632 wrote:
AARP needs to do more to protest the reduction of workforce at SSA. ***]

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 18:49:19 GMT

Why ?

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 18:49:34 GMT

Why ?

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

SummerOnTheWay1 — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 23:00:20 GMT

📎 [3/1/25] @GailL1 , two reasons. (1) This reduction in staff will further SLOW DOWN old people receiving their RETIREMENT SOCIAL SECURITY. Hundreds of posts ON THIS SITE about this issue. (2) There is way too many people of ALL AGES ending up homeless due to job losses.

*** Not looking to argue with anyone or get into politics. A note to AARP Moderator. Just saying! 🙄 ***

Anyway, it is what it is Gail. Just my thoughts and no one is required to agree.

I also RESPECT other opinions. 👍

Take Care,

Nicole 👵

[*** @GailL1 wrote 3/1/25:
Why ? ***]

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 19:32:29 GMT

@SummerOnTheWay1

Most Retirement claims go off just like clockwork - especially if the beneficiary knows the rules of eligibility and have the necessary documentations.

It takes (4) months or less to begin claims that’s just because of the number of them.

A lot and I do mean a LOT of especially filing of early benefits claims are problematic either in timing or they are still working and do not understand the earnings cap.

I spend the majority of time answering questions about Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare and Medicare/Medicaid. I try to help people but the questions are many times the very basic ones. This is also the reason why the phone banks at the SSA - local and national numbers - stay bogged down - they are overwhelmed with questions - questions that are easy to find on the website.

People would rather call or post on a board than to look up the info.

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

MarkD524822 — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 09:11:42 GMT

@SummerOnTheWay1

@pl48622632

my 2 cents, they already announced fireing over 7000 workers & are saying this will only increase wait times with phone calls, office closings, office visits & possible delays in paying SSA benefits. There are a lot of seniors that are not so computer literate and are more comfortable with talking to a live person rather then navigate a complicated & confusing website.

it’s too late for AARP to take a stand now to help seniors, with SSA when they should have been working harder for them quite some time ago. Seniors like my dad who has only monthly SSAN benefits to survive on deserve better service than this. He cannot have a delay in receiving his benefits to pay the lights, gas, water and other necessities.

Maybe that was 4 cents.

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

SummerOnTheWay1 — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 22:56:33 GMT

📎 [3/2/25] Mark @MarkD524822 , I am SO SORRY about your Dad!!! 😤

Folks tend to NOT care when they are financially set up in a way that they can do WITHOUT their RETIREMENT SOCIAL SECURITY.

In my area of Virginia I am SO GLAD the influx of refugees the local churches had felt a NEED to fly in has STOPPED.

Time NOW to dedicate that caring/finances to LEGAL Americans as our area are facing INHUMANE LAYOFFS.

These layoffs I am referring to has ZERO to do with politics. (note to AARP Moderator, I am listening & NOT discussing politics. 🙄)

They STARTED in 2020 with the PANDEMIC and EVERY MONTH hundreds are being laid off.

We have lost like GENERAL ELECTRIC, been here FOREVER.

ALOT of SENIORS who were still WORKING in our area = now have to tap into their RETIREMENT SOCIAL SECURITY.

Hmmm, now they are REDUCING the staff that PROCESSES applications???

Yes, there is Severance Packages & Unemployment BUT these DO NOT last forever.

Thanks for stopping by.

Nicole 👵

[*** @MarkD524822 wrote 3/2/25:
@SummerOnTheWay1
@pl48622632
my 2 cents, they already announced fireing over 7000 workers & are saying this will only increase wait times with phone calls, office closings, office visits & possible delays in paying SSA benefits. There are a lot of seniors that are not so computer literate and are more comfortable with talking to a live person rather then navigate a complicated & confusing website.
it’s too late for AARP to take a stand now to help seniors, with SSA when they should have been working harder for them quite some time ago. Seniors like my dad who has only monthly SSAN benefits to survive on deserve better service than this. He cannot have a delay in receiving his benefits to pay the lights, gas, water and other necessities.
Maybe that was 4 cents. ***]

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

JohnH409174 — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 11:06:06 GMT

AARP is looking to be the ultimate in Milk Toast Generic Lobbies. Grow a spine and stand AGAINST Elon and the felon! You're supposed to be fighting for the older gens. Whatever I give you in membership could just as easily go to ACLU or Public TV and Radio. I'm thinking my money would get much better results from those entities. Remember that Medicaid is two letters away from Medicare. That orange outfit just doesn't care.

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 16:21:18 GMT

@JohnH409174 wrote: . . . . Remember that Medicaid is two letters away from Medicare.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MEDICARE has designated funding -

(1) payroll taxes for Part A Medicare goes into the Trust Fund.

(2) Part B is funded by premiums that beneficiaries pay OR is paid for them by their state if they are income/asset eligible for one of the Medicare Savings Programs. - those cover 25%; the remaining 75% comes from the General Fund.

MEDICAID is totally funded by state and federal taxes and is a shared program with the states doing the design, implementation and running under a minimum requirement set by the Feds. Eligibility depends on income, resources and assets.

MEDICAID covers lots of different programs covering everything from babies still in the womb to ABLED BODIED CHILDLESS low income folks and in between all those people in need - blind, elderly, disabled, long term care - with a host of related programs.

For the like of me, I cannot figure out why our Federal government reimburses states at a higher percentage (90%) for those ABLED BODIED CHILDLESS being covered because of the ACA expanded medicaid program than those more desperate in their needs where the Feds only reimburse states at a 50% - 70% level.

The CBO estimates that .. . . setting the federal share of medical expenditures for enrollees made eligible by the ACA so that it equals the rate used for other enrollees—would reduce the deficit by $604 BILLION from 2024 to 2032.

https://www.cbo.gov/budget-options/58624

So should the AARP support a reduction in this ACA spending mandate?

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 16:32:37 GMT

Why? Once this push from the remaining boomers to start their benefits is over, could we get rid of the extra personnel then. Government is great at getting bigger and bigger not so good at getting smaller even when there is little need.

Like I said before, we have to learn how to work more efficiently because out debt is unsustainable at $ 37 TRILLION. If we do not begin to get this under control, we may not get any benefits because they will be slurped up by just our payment of interest on the debt.

I would rather you get your benefit than paying (2) employees for work that could be handled by (1) employee.

You can follow the changes here:

SSA.gov Press Releases

Same for Medicare:

CMS.gov - News Releases

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 16:47:05 GMT

@MarkD524822

If your dad is on his Social Security benefits - Old Age Retirement including spousal, Survivors or Disability - he will not have a problem getting his benefits from anything that is happening in the agency due to personnel or administrative funding.

The Social Security programs have designated funding sources:

1. Payroll Taxes from those currently working

2. Taxes paid on Social Security benefits by beneficiaries

3. Interest we get paid on those special treasuries where the surplus stays prior to getting redeemed when the need arises.

Right now, we are redeeming those surplus special treasuries because what is coming in from those (3) sources is NOT enough to pay current beneficiaries their monthly amount. The Trust Fund balance is dwindling every month. So come about 2032 - 2035, without action by Congress, the Trust Fund balance will be so low that your benefits BY LAW will be reduced automatically. The current estimate is about a 20% reduction.

Yet right now - Congress is adding benefits without adding any funding. We have people in Congress that don’t seem to know how to add, subtract or understand the Social Security system. BTW, we have been warned EVERY YEAR about this condition going back to at least 2010.

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

SummerOnTheWay1 — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 23:01:32 GMT

📎 [3/2/25] @GailL1 , in my very humble opinion - they will NEVER GET CAUGHT UP!!! Why? People are RETIRING EVERY DAY. Meanwhile OUR HOMELESS SENIOR CITIZENS are increasing. This is NOT an area to REDUCE staff.

YOU WROTE: Why? Once this push from the remaining boomers to start their benefits is over, could we get rid of the extra personnel then.

Nicole 👵

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 17:00:55 GMT

@SummerOnTheWay1

Many of the staff reductions are gonna be long term employees retiring - they have stayed for a while to train others since the attrition rate in the administration has been high. They have put in their years and now time to retire.

Some are upset that they have had to come back into the office from the remote working which they did during the pandemic. That’s understandable, change is hard so perhaps they are looking for another remote working job,

As you know, I am very old and have been retired for a very, very long time - never once have I missed a SS benefit deposit once started. Thru different administrations, thru different party majorities, thru the pandemic, just like clock work, on time, every time, every month.

I’d be more worried about what is ahead of us when the Social Security Trust Fund income doesn’t have enough to cover the

benefits being paid out and there is no action by Congress to make the corrections needed to fully fund it for the future.

In fact, many of the younger ones want a different system altogether.

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

SummerOnTheWay1 — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 22:59:19 GMT

📎 [3/2/25] @GailL1 , retirement is part of life and is to be expected. So is training replacements & returning to the office AFTER THE 2020 PANDEMIC. So donot care that they are upset. At least hopefully they will RECEIVE THEIR RETIREMENT SOCIAL SECURITY in a timely manner. 🙄 As far as the FUTURE, I may day today. RIGHT NOW in 2025 needs to be addressed and Seniors NEEDING their 1st RETIREMENT SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENT, need to get it.

YOU WROTE: Many of the staff reductions are gonna be long term employees retiring.

Nicole 👵

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 17:19:18 GMT

@SummerOnTheWay1

Of course, the push for filing will not be as great when the last of the baby boomers have been worked through - that should be about 2030.

I do not understand your connection between the staffing at the Social Security Administration and Homeless Senior Citizens - each has to file for benefits that they are due either by earning the entitlement (Social Security program) or by entitlement due to income and resource level (Supplemental Security Income) - neither gets a higher benefit than they are due based on the rules of each program.

Shelter is under the governing of HUD - Housing and Urban Development but even there, they cannot force private enterprise to build housing if there is not a supportive programs to entice them todo so.

We have already figured out a long time ago that public housing isn’t the answer because of a number of reasons.

Reduce the debt that our country currently has (37 TRILLION) and maybe we could begin to once again entice private enterprise to build more subsidized housing - but right now subsidizing anything is difficult because we have NO MONEY.

Name one government agency or sub-agency that has ever been closed down after it was started and its usefulness has vanished?

“The closest thing to eternal life on earth is a government program”

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 17:26:22 GMT

@SummerOnTheWay1

For Social Security Retirement benefits, they will get their due benefit based on their eligibility and associated rules.

They will get any backpay they are due - going back 6-months based on their eligibility and associated rules.

I have not heard of one person that hasn’t gotten their benefits based on their eligibility and associated rules.

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

SummerOnTheWay1 — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 23:01:50 GMT

📎 [3/2/25] @GailL1 what happens when a SENIOR who has applied for their RETIREMENT SOCIAL SECURITY since 2024 has NOT received it? 🤔 My post was talking about them, NOT the disabled and whatever else is out there. ANSWER: Eviction or foreclosure IS POSSIBLE. Anyway, I am done as nothing I say will change this. My heart goes out to those still WAITING on their RETIREMENT SOCIAL SECURITY. 💛🤗

YOU WROTE: I do not understand your connection between the staffing at the Social Security Administration and Homeless Senior Citizens.

Nicole 👵

Re: 📋 Social Security Plans ‘Significant’ Staff Reductions (AARP Article)

GailL1 — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 17:31:45 GMT

@SummerOnTheWay1

Any application has to go thru the steps for approval based on the persons eligibility and associated rules.

Apply (4) months before you want your benefits to start and make sure you know how that starting date is counted if you are filing for early benefits (62).

Supply any require documents.

The SSA group works on applications based on your age and the date you want your benefits to start. It isn’t a first served process.