Well, that should be fine as long as nobody on Social Security has mobility issues or visual impairment or difficulty navigating online forms. - ThreadSky

normative.bsky.social • 20 hours ago

Well, that should be fine as long as nobody on Social Security has mobility issues or visual impairment or difficulty navigating online forms.

Reposted from Mike Madden

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 www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Comments

briangocial.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Their callousness will kill.

alwaysroldy.bsky.social•8 hours ago

You assume they want people on social security to get help.

berkeleyeve.bsky.social•17 hours ago

and all the SSA offices are open and staffed... 🤷🏼‍♀️

digitalramble.bsky.social•11 hours ago

i mean i think this is a terrible idea—and i’m deaf so i’d never use the phone anyway…!

dbpublisher.bsky.social•18 hours ago

At some point in the past the government asked “how can we make it easier for seniors to get the benefits they paid for?”
The government is now asking “how can we save as much money as possible so we can give that money to billionaires?”

litterygeniarse.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Typical arrogance of techies who can't imagine people with different abilities from themselves or who don't care because their blinkered vision is limited to their solution.

winterpancake.bsky.social•15 hours ago

I think it's the latter. They're open eugenicists by now

jnrn.bsky.social•13 hours ago

I do not have mobility issues nor difficulty navigating online forms. Yet I still had to call the social security office because the website isn’t user friendly. They answered in less than 4 minutes and were super helpful. I have a phone appointment next month. Musk better not screw it up.

beeaz24.bsky.social•20 hours ago

This at the same time that they CLOSED 100s of ss offices across the country, so limited offices and no phone, yeah, this won't hurt anyone 😒😒😒

mainepotter.bsky.social•15 hours ago

That’s the idea. Make it harder for seniors to get the benefits they worked their whole lives for.

sarahesteinberg.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Lol cut back on phone service? There's already like a 4 hour wait typically, might as well just say "don't call me"

sarahesteinberg.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Oh and you have to call to make an appointment at the field office so. Um. Basically your other choice is to show up and hope you don't pass out waiting.

scout0914.bsky.social•16 hours ago

Well that’s the point, to make it difficult for people to collect their social security checks.

allcaps-22.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Do they understand that the majority of people who receive SS benefits are - over the age of 62 and/or have physical limitations?

fairlycleanwindows.bsky.social•20 hours ago

They are all like 25. They never think about old people.

electricland.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Yeah they can all read all the text on an iPhone charging brick

malacandra.me•18 hours ago

Elon Musk is a eugenicist: for him culling the weak is a feature, not a bug.

karimala.bsky.social•20 hours ago

And have limited income, making travel & internet-accessible devices extremely difficult to afford? After they close the Kalispell, MT office, the closest office will be 193 miles away.

moonglaive90.bsky.social•18 hours ago

So, just the generations not born into modern technology who ask their kids and grandkids for help fixing computers/mobile devices. HMMMM...

sondeerrf.bsky.social•20 hours ago

And all the open and fully staffed field offices…

billr1953.bsky.social•11 hours ago

They are playing with fire here! I hope it blows up in their smug faces!

kbethany.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Most senior citizens already needed help filling out online forms and aren’t they planning to close a lot of the in person offices?

wvdemgirl.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Yes, yes they are!

candigram.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Thank God for libraries and the support staff that help the tech disadvantaged seniors and God help them when the seniors come for help to unravel the mess

donutmz.bsky.social•18 hours ago

They are incapable of comprehending the existence of people other than themselves

msdavinci.bsky.social•20 hours ago

They’re closing offices, as if there were too many in the first place.

krobikes.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Unacceptable! Most Americans slave their whole lives for the pittance they get in SSDI. There is no financial emergency that justifies making it harder to access these benefits (unless you're giving away tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, so they can buy even more politicians.)

babsallday.bsky.social•18 hours ago

aren't they closing most of the field offices? this should work out great

noneofyourbusyness.bsky.social•18 hours ago

They will not need call centers or field offices if they cancel social security outright.

usavsrich20.bsky.social•15 hours ago

When can we export Musk

priyachand.bsky.social•17 hours ago

isn't there a law the government has to follow re: accessibility?? I remember them having very strict guidelines for their websites when laws still mattered

mysbay.bsky.social•16 hours ago

So absurd. I tried calling SS twice before Jan 20 bloodbath started. Both times was on hold 2 hrs and then system disconnected me. There is ONE phone number for entire SS system.

chrisll.bsky.social•15 hours ago

If you call early and give them a call back number, I have always been called back the same day and found there reps to be helpful the vast majority of the time

chrisll.bsky.social•15 hours ago

You cannot get that from any place else that has millions of clients or customers. Try getting a live body at Apple or Google

brettamorrison.bsky.social•20 hours ago

98 year olds are famously adept at using computers and can safely drive to the closest Social Security office two hours away after 45 of the offices have been closed 🫤

sbwriter.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Wait. I thought DOGE was closing down SS offices, but now more people should go there?

aczub.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Just like closing down various agencies and selling their buildings while simultaneously demanding RTO. Why so confused? 🙃

geekgirlsrule.bsky.social•15 hours ago

My mom, for one, is terrified of computers and will definitely have a lot of problems if they cut the phone support. I doubt she's alone.

jweland.bsky.social•13 hours ago

That, and DOGE is closing several field offices, canceling leases, putting buildings up for sale…

nfbird.bsky.social•16 hours ago

And wait until the intertubes go down & Lordy, the SSA office is far away & you have to wait in line to get a number to be seen & Lordy there’s only one potty & it’s not handicap accessible & hasn’t been cleaned &, anyway, they don’t get to your number before closing & you have to come back tomorrow

lifewithdogs.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Or doesn't own a computer

patricksaxton.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Robles v dominos is going to get a workout

danielwise.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Or doesn’t want to wait all day at the field office

mattpedroso.bsky.social•20 hours ago

This is fine. Everyone knows that over-65 people are tech wizards who are totally comfortable with a website. I can only image all the scams that are going to happen when people are emailed from "Social Securiity"to make direct deposit changes via a website link.

jeastman.bsky.social•15 hours ago

It's also comforting that even with the proposed SSA staffing cuts, there will still be *some* people working in SSA offices. Granted, in some states, some seniors might have to drive for hours to actually get to an office, but once they get there, someone *might* still be available to help them.

chboar.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Also…. They’ve canceled leases on field offices

josalo.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Your wait time is:
Five.… years.
Please continue to hold. Your call is important to us.

2huskies4us.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Our nearest office is a 70 mile drive. What are people supposed to do who can't drive that far?

pipercat.bsky.social•16 hours ago

But they’re also closing field offices

exeuntpursuedby.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Going to the field offices that they are closing for help. GREAT.

mirrorman.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Pretty awesome that they decided this a few days after announcing the closing of several Social Security offices across the country.

traceyryniec.bsky.social•16 hours ago

Or they are rich enough to own a computer or have a smart phone. Not everyone is.

jaygirl80.bsky.social•17 hours ago

He’s not that bright, he designed cars that need smart phones.

dwhalsell.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Eugenics in action.

charliem.bsky.social•18 hours ago

A prediction: increasing use of online contact with social security will lead to a proliferation of new social security scams online. Online scams being something older people are known for being deft at thwarting, so probably not a big deal.

davidslifka.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Even if they do, that’s their problem, not Musk’s. Savings!

quatraingleam.bsky.social•18 hours ago

And as long as the physical offices aren't sold.
Oh wait...

ezelkatz.bsky.social•12 hours ago

There is nothing efficient about any of this.

stevecstny.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Republicans must be held accountable!!! They have failed everyone but Trump.

linda212.bsky.social•15 hours ago

You'd think a bunch of tech nerds would try to come up with something spectacularly inventive rather than a return to the dark ages.

tinalternative.bsky.social•15 hours ago

The new SSA phone service will be congressional representatives. They will love that.

itsmikeschwartz.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Seniors famously love filling out browser forms on their smartphones in between naughty chatting with prospective friends on Our Time.

humblemillennial.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Feature.

fairlycleanwindows.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Or not computer. I know someone without one who now finds it really hard to interact with institutions and stores and so on.

calemiller.bsky.social•19 hours ago

Never mind the fact that they're closing most of the field offices.

profbobhowarth.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Or in my case, my social security file was hacked into years ago, and therefore is frozen for all on-line activity. I can only communicate with them by phone, or in person.

ettarose.bsky.social•17 hours ago

And I’m sure that the offices will be taking proper precautions against the airborne viruses that are still going around

corona-limes.bsky.social•17 hours ago

When they are shutting down offices?

tgpudney.bsky.social•18 hours ago

When I was a librarian this is mostly what I did! Because the field office is 50 miles away! And I guess we’re talking about cutting staffing for that field office too! I could find you a half dozen people this will kill in like an hour.

eilrach.bsky.social•12 hours ago

I tried to set up an online account; they want to mail you the authentication, so if you have moved since you retired, you won’t receive it. The phone system requires you to wait 1-2 hours. At our local center, if you can’t sit in a cheap plastic chair for hours, you are out of luck.

gpinky.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Costs my brother over $100 using a special transport van to leave the his residence place. Anyone advocating for the many people in that type of situation?

stevetownsend0.bsky.social•18 hours ago

musk/trump regime is looking pretty eugenicist right now.
If the measles don't get you, you can just starve waiting for your federal entitlements.

stephensj.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Did they end that article with the required "Free market good! Personal liberty good!" tagline?

otakuboyt.bsky.social•17 hours ago

These people have never tried to teach a retiree how to do anything on a computer.

I work in a library. A large amount of my job is helping people to do basic computer tasks.

usedtobeshelver.bsky.social•15 hours ago

In our county they implemented a tax exemption exclusively for seniors that could only be filed online. I’m sure every librarian in the county wished painful consequences for those responsible.
Last week a tax professional said that they’re going to have to refile for it every year. We almost cried.

usedtobeshelver.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Another librarian, “But…but… they’re not going to STOP being seniors!”

bfhaven.bsky.social•16 hours ago

Exactly. Here in far northern CA, it’s already a long drive to the SS office, and internet service is spotty at best outside of any town. Low income area, lots of dependence on SS, Medical and Medicare. And lots of elderly, of whom I’m one.

freshhotcoffee27.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Omg, have you been to an SSA office recently or tried to make an appointment? It is madness. I do it with people I work with, and recently for myself. I feel for the SSA workers, who really try to be helpful. But the process to get in is…untenable now. Government efficiency my ass Elon

daiserflab.bsky.social•19 hours ago

There’s nothing seniors love more than having to travel to wait in line for subpar service. What could go wrong?

jdinjc.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Elmo should not be showing off those abs! They are abs of flab.
Normally, I would never say anything about someone’s body, but he and Trump deserve it

kevinconeil.bsky.social•18 hours ago

There are no field service hours or in person hours at our SS office near Cincinnati, Ohio. Doors are all locked. You have to call, wait an hour+ for an agent, you then ask for an appointment, in a month you get an email that sets the time of a phone call which is usually 1-2 months later.

dramber.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Good thing old people never use their phones or call people to try to resolve things.

hodag1977.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Fkkng vandals🤬

thornyopinion.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Old people are famously good at navigating websites. My 88 year old father has never used a computer and doesn't own a cellphone.

mslynnemiller.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Read this morning that cancelling the SS’s phone service is off the table. 💖

ellnb.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Also, 240 day wait to get disability social security

normative.bsky.social•15 hours ago

FWIW, DOGE is now claiming the reporting misrepresents what they’re doing. They say they’re only taking one specific functionality away from phone service as a fraud reduction measure.

mmastenbrook.bsky.social•15 hours ago

This is actually a good thing. Credit where credit is due.

bjc860.bsky.social•15 hours ago

No, it's just yet another stream of lies. No credit due.

mmastenbrook.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Maybe but even if so it's a good policy

bjc860.bsky.social•12 hours ago

No, it's really not. It makes people, mostly seniors jump through a lot of hoops they shouldn't need to and there nothing safer about it.

mmastenbrook.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Please explain why it's not safer. If someone can just call and change my direct deposit (yes I'm a senior) without adequate safe guards that's a problem. I agree that the purpose is probably more nefarious than stated but I also want to know that I don't have to worry about SS being scammed.

sniffit.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Narrator: It's worth nothing and nobody should trust a thing that DOGE or Musk has to say about anything.

peanut24.bsky.social•15 hours ago

It might also be fine as long they haven't closed the SSA office near you. And if the office is still open, as long as you have the time to wait in line for hours to see a human being because the lines are already very long and will get longer with less phone service.

bpw87544.bsky.social•15 hours ago

That explanation makes perfect sense in light of the candor and good faith that doge has repeatedly and continuously displayed...

I can't even finish this comment, even with the obvious /s

cutterjohn.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Yeah, I'm not gonna take the nazis word for it. They shouldn't even be there.

haveyouanywool.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Exactly, this is what the Inspector General could have handled, efficiently, cost-effectively, and expertly, instead of these amateur clowns.

ghostyspook.bsky.social•13 hours ago

‘Change it in person’ after we cut a fuckton of offices?

davidsp72.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Sure. Just like I cash my 132 year-old Nana’s check every month.

Sorry, I just don’t believe a word of anything associated with Elon Musk or Donald Trump. That ship sailed long ago for both of them.

bjc860.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Hard to believe he is lying about what banks do, too.

fraudwasteandabuse.bsky.social•15 hours ago

So, I can just go to the SSA service center that is now closed. Got it.

fraudwasteandabuse.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Just to go one step further, their plan is to have someone call in and then walk them through setting up 2FA on their web account? That’s hilarious.

usnthem.bsky.social•16 hours ago

Oh well it's actually ok because the Trump/Musk brigade doesn't give a fuck about those people - or anyone else but themselves.

untilwemeetagain.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Cool. Looking forward to spending hours I don't have helping my mom navigate this bullshit.

pawtez.bsky.social•18 hours ago

This is the Nathan For You episode where he offers gas rebates but you have to climb up a mountain to get them

michaelwmatthew.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Old people never have any of those problems…

jamesfromqueens.bsky.social•15 hours ago

They won’t be able to use the library computers bc they’re going to close the libraries.

lcwlaw1.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Also, they’re selling off the buildings they’re located in.

karimala.bsky.social•20 hours ago

They’re closing both offices in Western Montana. The nearest office to Kalispell is 193 miles away. It’s ridiculous!

speerface.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Howdy! My parents live in Kali, so this interests/concerns me; I just looked online and still see the main Kalispell office listed. Can you point me to where they say it’s being closed? Thanks!

oldpine.bsky.social•18 hours ago

https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2025/mar/08/kalispell-social-security-office-to-close-amid-government-cuts/

speerface.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Thank you!! ❤️

karimala.bsky.social•16 hours ago

Here’s a list. Missoula is also closing. https://www.masslive.com/politics/2025/03/doge-plans-to-close-nearly-50-social-security-offices-see-the-list.html

lcwlaw1.bsky.social•20 hours ago

This is how they destroy it without Republicans having to take credit.
Hopefully, enough Americans will get furious enough to understand why it happened.

zaleykat.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Definitely would have been no problem for my visually impaired grandma who never drove.

bluebird333x.bsky.social•12 hours ago

And they are closing lots of the field offices. A person can be on hold to talk to a representative for 2 hours bc so many have been fired.

pattyc4303.bsky.social•18 hours ago

You're right. Also, lots of older people do not use the internet or cell phones!

suzannedspain.bsky.social•14 hours ago

NO!! That's crazy talk.

jackvaughan.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Musk has no idea what reality is.

ragnvaldr1.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Oh yeah - the current SS target age group is known for it’s alacrity with ‘puters

leoprints.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Or if there are any staff in these offices.

blbarden.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Forcing people to go to SS offices many of which Doge is closing.

mikebrady.bsky.social•4 hours ago

It’s time to apply Kuzushi to Musk’s attack on Americans.

How to take down Musk. ⬇️

maggyw.bsky.social•15 hours ago

What a horrible thing to cut. Cut Elon now

akjackson.bsky.social•16 hours ago

It does drive me a little crazy that Social Security assumes you are technologically ignorant. When they send a logon code, instead of texting they call with a computer voice reading the code.

haveyouanywool.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Obviously, nobody in this DGE agency is old. Social Security is one of the most efficient agencies, superbly expert at managing and dispensing the funds the recipients gave paid into the system during their entire working lives. Hope none of these DGE boys ever becomes disabled.

dfibkitty.bsky.social•19 hours ago

& for the immunosuppressed disabled, nothing is healthier than sitting in understaffed, over-crowded offices for hours upon hours in a country where a disturbing number of people don’t understand the very basics of viral transmission & refuse to protect others who may die b/c of their selfishness.

karimala.bsky.social•20 hours ago

https://bsky.app/profile/karimala.bsky.social/post/3lk6z6v5nrs2r

theinvisible-man.bsky.social•19 hours ago

and as long as no one has access to digital systems and a vested interest in seeing them fail

anotheramanda.bsky.social•18 hours ago

There are also things you can only do by phone or in person with Soc Sec I think - lots with spousal benefits / transfers.

sarahesteinberg.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Oh yeah the website is basically useless if you want to do anything but see your existing situation.

mandmcrosswords.bsky.social•14 hours ago

And the SSA website is only accessible for logging in during "regular business hours." (It's been like that for years, but still... it's a *website* ffs)

sarahesteinberg.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Lol really? I guess I never tried in the evening 😂

mandmcrosswords.bsky.social•8 hours ago

sarahesteinberg.bsky.social•8 hours ago

WOW NEW LEVELS OF HORRIBLE

berfield.com•16 hours ago

They make it easier by eliminating field offices.

bike2beer.bsky.social•9 hours ago

Musk is not customer-service focused.

kim326.bsky.social•19 hours ago

Or transportation challenges. Even getting to a local office can be a challenge for someone who can no longer drive or doesn’t have a car.

ursaonyourleft.bsky.social•1 hour ago

They are also closing offices and cutting staff. So it should work if there are no people.

noreligion4me.bsky.social•12 hours ago

jenpoll.bsky.social•18 hours ago

bdoggle.bsky.social•18 hours ago

I do not understand why this is acceptable under any circumstance. This is our institution, not Elon Musk's.

stephaniebumpus.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Considered. Ignored.

jginma.bsky.social•13 hours ago

So I heard/read that SS offices are no longer taking walkins. I also heard that one needed an appointment which seems to take a long time to get. It seems like some things cannot be done on line and need to be done in person or by phone. Already wait times on the phone are multiple hours.

anned13.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Weren’t they also planning to close many of the field offices? I’m just an old lady on Social Security, but I’m pretty sure that was part of the plan too.

gademgirl.bsky.social•17 hours ago

DOGE need to stop now.

francesinportland.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Or is old.

joebardi.bsky.social•18 hours ago

While they also cut the number of field offices in half. Fuck these people.

sarahesteinberg.bsky.social•17 hours ago

The already 1/4 staffed field offices 😭

matthewb00.bsky.social•15 hours ago

can't wait for the day when Musk has to reckon with the sheer righteous anger of retirees who have had their money fucked with.

danggiantcrabs.bsky.social•20 hours ago

From experience, there are loads of rural elderly who have no access to internet still, so the in person option is the only one for huge numbers (who are also very Red).

desmigeo.bsky.social•20 hours ago

And I’m guessing that social security offices are distributed more like Apple Stores than like Dollar General

karimala.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Yep. https://bsky.app/profile/karimala.bsky.social/post/3lk6zpbpfdk2r

wlmsears.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Wouldn’t phone service be less expensive?

biknmusicmama.bsky.social•15 hours ago

You mean everyone over 65?

pedsicunp.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Exactly because seniors or disabled people are all computer literate and have wifi enabled laptops. A little consideration for the people they serve would be helpful

delightw2023.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Don't they want to end the programs that make wifi available to poor ppl? Many SS recipients use these programs for affordable wifi.

comgeek39.bsky.social•19 hours ago

People must hate DOGE because they’re all pink-haired Commies who hate our country. Why *ever else* could they have a problem with it?

🙄

hmsbluebird.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Or access to smart devices or internet. I have uncles and aunts who live in the rural Northwoods of Wisconsin. They are lucky to cover their property taxes so having WiFi isn’t a priority.

danfell.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Yeah, just weighing in here as a digital healthcare marketing and patient engagement expert ... the phone is still a pretty damn important communications device for millions of consumers.

silkyweineck.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Luckily, these are issues affecting mostly the elderly, famously not a big social security constituency

klisa26.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Or there is a question not in the drop down menu.

mdrfl.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Especially after they close half the local offices 😡

docheatherb.bsky.social•18 hours ago

So many on SS or SSDI just don’t have access to a car

josemanolitocaldas.bsky.social•17 hours ago

At the same time closing field offices. He's a ghoul.

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/5-social-security-offices-georgia-slated-closure-per-doge-website

brettamorrison.bsky.social•15 hours ago

I just saw someone post that their closest office will now be 173 miles away after two closer ones close.

cherzvt.bsky.social•20 hours ago

I thought they were closing the field offices (or at least a lot of them)

scholarlycowboy.bsky.social•20 hours ago

They just closed our local office, so everyone in my county is fucked.

heidikitrosser.bsky.social•20 hours ago

And for those who can make their way to the field offices, I trust that there will be no issues with staffing or other in-person resources. DOGE will see to it.

dsilsby.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Any idea how long it takes to talk to a human at Social Security, Medicare, or IRS when they were fully staffed? The sad truth is doing this online has been the only way to go for quite a few years now.

accelerationista.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Go in person to field offices that have no people to run them because of layoffs?

sundaecat.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Or has issues requiring on call support rather than shoddy AI or text support.

adamheathcetinski.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Now you're catching on...

moemoemh.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Or, a telephone, competent mental health, a family member or friend to help, a computer, transportation, the ability to understand the forms, ….

rugger6300.bsky.social•13 hours ago

My partner is older. No way he can navigate the SSA website. And they're closing many of the SSA offices, so it will take weeks to get an appointment. It was already bad back in 2016 or so when I had to deal with this with my mother.

betsy-cazden.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Yeah, frail 89-year-olds are notoriously great both at driving a long way to the nearest office that's still open and staffed, and at manipulating apps on their landline phones.

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