📋 Social Security Customer Service Times Build as Hiring Freeze Continues (AARP Article)

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!

Social Security Struggles to Improve Customer Service.

Hiring freeze amid congressional spending standoff sets back efforts to reduce phone wait times, speed up disability claims, SSA says.

By Andy Markowitz, AARP. Published April 10, 2024.

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https://www.aarp.org/retirement/social-security/info-2024/hiring-freeze-customer-service.html

[GailL1]

@SpringIsHereSoHappy 

Now let’s see here - this is the same government office - The Social Security Administration - that has issued billions of dollars in overpayments to people who cannot pay them back or they have a problems getting it back.  

This is the same government office that has to deal with and explain people’s earned benefits when the education level in such benefit understanding is minimal to many of these recipients.

This is the same government office that is in charge of determining and administering SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) which is NOT a Social Security program although it (kind of) relates in some circumstances.  AND confuses many as to which benefit they are getting.  Administering this program is not a small or inexpensive endeavor - since it not only requires eligibility standards in income, resources, age, blindness or disabilty - it also requires monitoring these same individual’s income / resources on a MONTHLY BASIS so they do not go over the set limits for retaining the benefit.

So they want more money - what government office doesn’t want more money.  

For years we have been told how low the overhead is in this Administration - was that just a manipulation of the numbers ?  Or maybe they just aren’t counting all the work that needs to be done in this overhead classification.  

Perhaps we do need to pay more for such service - right !  If this was a private enterprise, the administration of it would be born by those who are getting the benefit.  

Now all we hear from many people and many legislators is how the earned insurance benefit of the Social Security programs, administered by this government office, needs to be more and more - perhaps we need to also pay in more to get more in benefits as well as help out in the administration of these programs.

Just IMO !

.  

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

(4/12/24) @GailL1 , do you think TRAINED volunteers like yourself and @fffred could help?

You BOTH run the AARP Social Security Forum as I have yet to SEE an AARP Employee help.

Of course, it would have to be folks who WANT to volunteer and accept ONGOING training as things change.  👵

[GailL1]

OMG - this would not be a job for volunteers at all.  It is much too complicated of a system for volunteers.  

Remember we are talking about the programs that the SSA administers:

• Social Security Retirement, including Spousal Benefits
• Social Security Survivors Benefits
• Social Security Disability Benefits
• Payroll Tax collections and processing to the various Trust Funds and by beneficiary; reconciliation to W-2 and FORM SE by beneficiary.
• Medicare enrollment and Part B premium collections - from billing collections and deduction from benefits 
• Supplemental Security Income claims 
• Disabled Adult Child Benefit claims 
• (there is probably more)

Every body wants their particular question answered - and usually they want it answered simply (so they can understand) when it might not be simple at all in their particular situation.  And that’s only if the SSA rep and the beneficiary are talking the same language - which many times they aren’t - 

I’d expect a 6-digit salary if I worked there and had to answer questions or even process claims.  

You should go over to these Reddit boards and read some of the questions/answers over there to get a preview of what this government office has to deal with day in / day out.

Reddit.com:  Social Security 

Reddit.com:  Medicare

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

(4/12/24) Well @GailL1 , I guess it is what it is!!!  🙄  Thank you SO MUCH to you and @fffred for helping in the AARP Social Security Forum.  👵