Americans seeking retirement or survivor benefits from the Social Security Administration will no longer be able to apply over the phone, starting next week.
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Imagine the people who don’t have computers, smart devices,internet or transportation.
These cuts are disgusting they are hitting SS from the inside , use your voice join a protest speak out you are not alone
Is it just me or does it irk anyone else when any media etc refers to social security as Benefits or entitlements?
It’s money Americans paid into their account for retirement or for family members upon their death or disability.
And offices around the country shuttered. Trump is at war with his constituency, the elderly. Social Security consists of payments by workers and employers. It comprises a pool of money that should be protected. It is not a ponzi scheme, and our checks were never late, until Trump came along.
So they’re making it harder to get to the money you or your partner earned and paid into the system. Making it harder to enjoy retirement after years of hard work.
Easiest way to get rid of Social Security is to make it not worth anyone's while to bother applying for it. Kind of like unemployment insurance. Kind of like health insurance. Kind of like literally everything that would actually help a person if it existed in a functional manner whatsoever.
And if you can't get what you need from the government who took all your money, guess who it leaves you to take it from? Your family and your neighbor. Enjoy the war, ladies and gentlemen and everyone reading. It's gonna be a grind
In order for that to work, barring a complete overhaul of the balance of power between the three branches of government, elections would need to be (more) rigged for State level elections since new legislators could impeach and legislate against him. Gerrymandering will look quaint in comparison.
I mean, the balance of power has been completely overhauled already. Congress functionally does not exist right now. Trump is setting his own taxes and deciding how the budget is spent, and laws don't enforce themselves so legislating against him means nothing.
I am worried for when the GOP officially, by law, cedes Legislative powers to him. Currently, he has it due to their cowardice in bowing down to him but they could take it back if they choose to go against him. The next step has to be consolidating powers so no one legally could oppose him.
How does the GOP plan to stop CA, Hawaii, NY, Washington, Mass., Minnesota, etc. from holding their fair and representative federal elections?
Sure 'Bama, SC, ND, etc. might decide not to do it (but don't count on that) but elections will be held in blue/blue-purple states barring armed occupation.
You would think the Republican Party would be more frightened of screwing seniors over. Looking like they are not. In fact the GOP seems delighted with their two time Presidential Candidate who is now breaking everything. The Republicans appear very pleased with the whole affair.
I honestly don’t think they are afraid to disagree. I believe this is the GOP plan. It’s been cooking in the background for a while. A nasty plan cooked up between the GOP, Silicon Valley tech bro’s, religious zealots Russia is in there because of fear of blackmail for some members.
This infuriates me.
People often have to send original notarized documents like birth certificates, marriage, licenses, or death certificates to the closest SS office.
This is just going to make it easier for your identity to be stolen, in my opinion.
I hit the "heart" to acknowledge the post, NOT that I like it! In fact, Trump and musk must lie in bed (together?) to run masochistic ways on what would be the most painful for citizens 😢
FYI, unlike Twitter, Bluesky "Likes" to a post do very little to promote the post. The one thing that a like does is put the post in your "liked" feed or the "Popular with friends" feed, but relatively few will ever see it there
Ill volunteer as an emotional support advocate to get them through that process. help set an appointment, wait with them, go over paperwork. be like “no matter how hard they make this we will get you what you are owed and have a right to.”Champion them the whole way
... because who would need the convenience of a phone call versus dragging their old ass [possibly] hours away to talk to someone who is barely holding on to her own sanity?
Only people who are 150 years old... or every feckin person in the world.
A couple months ago there were some quick remarks from trump about how Elon/doge were finding "fraud in the treasuries" and the national debt might not be as high as we thought, which sounded to me kinda like "oh my god he's gonna default on some of the debt isn't he"
Sadly, I would not be surprised. The country is being dismantled and destroyed from within. And what a shock that it's the super rich people's enthusiastically doing it.
Creating nightmare scenarios for many about to retire but still working who will have to take time off, family members who will have to provide transportation, workers at the remaining SSA offices with more people to corral, and local economies--including foodbanks, when SSA checks are delayed.
I just heard that the AZ AG is asking any AZ Social Security recipient experiencing any issues with their benefits to contact her via a new firm she created. I think everyone in every state should notify their AG if they are having a SSA problem.
So, why isn’t Doge trying to find out why it takes hours of waiting in the SS Office to get anything done? There’s where the waste is. Is it the people working there or the red tape paperwork they have to do?
No where in this entire piece — does it mention that this calamity being inflicted on people — is attributed to what Trump and Elon did — when they conducted mass firing and closures. It’s just the new Social Security Administration’s policy…
The online UX is not and never will be accessible for everyone, the same way getting to a field office isn’t, so this is just terrible and unfair for all Americans.
When you’re 15 yrs old and you calculate your wage and hrs worked — and you’re “shorted” $$? It felt like being robbed. That is when I was taught by father SS and being the daughter of staunch Democrats I was proud to start building my SS from then on. As a child. I understood.
Notice this: Musk is glum when tariffs & boycotts are tanking his livelihood - Tesla - but he expects seniors to roll over & say nothing about SSA office closures & staff cuts. SSA staff is already very low & further cuts are outrageous. More With Less? We can do more with less Musk & that is a fact
Plus they borked the online systems. My colleague turned 65 last month and this month received a bill for services he DECLINED through the website portal. WTF.
All the government should have done is to audit millionaires’ tax returns, instead of punishing millions of seniors.
For all theses seniors, I have one message for you: vote blue till the death.
I finished up my SS & Traditional Medicare online and then added the supplement and drup.plan over the phone... wondering if it might all still blow up
That’s a bullshit comment. Your vision of a “senior” is probably some geriatric resident of the Villages. But the vast majority of us just coming into our mid 60’s are a lot younger than that and there’s plenty of us who know Trump is an idiot.
speaking as one about to be a 3/4 of a century senior... many of us came out against him on his first run for office due to his "ideas for making America great".. we tried to reason with people who thought businessman but he is a conman with a lust for power no matter the cost to the rest of us.
Ayyy the title. More like “Americans are no longer able to apply for social security”. I am fine with unashamed clickbait for such things. Makes it more spicy. Things are too crazy these days.
It was a process yesterday just to view my SS Statement online. I got a new phone 18 months ago & I had to sign into the Authentication app. Fortunately, I had the password written down at home. I can't imagine a computer illiterate to do that. If I can retire in two years, I will volunteer to help.
So, punishing people isn't enough. The regime must add additional inconvenience to assure that the pain is felt deeply and without relenting. The dictionary defines that type of behavior as "sadistic."
And absolutely no one should be shocked by this, it's just a backdoor way to fucking people out of their earned Social Security benefits without having to admit their cutting them.
Gotta give them credit they said they wouldn’t cut your/our /my SS - but they never said they wouldn’t make it much harder for you to get it - so technically in their tiny diabolic right wing minds they didn’t
I’m so fucking angry about this- never mind the wait Queue on hold averaged 1.5 hours when I tried to call last year. Now you can’t at all? WTF? Has anyone had to go and sit in those horrid depressing offices for 3 hour waitline only to be turned away because you don’t have right form?!
...so people will have to camp outside and wait in long lines, like they're trying to score Taylor Swift tickets, because they'll only be 3 people to process their paperwork due to DOGE's (in)efficiency cuts...
There are many elderly, poor, and disabled people who lack reliable access to the Internet. This is the GOP stealing Social Security benefits from deserving Americans.
Nanas and moms across the US are going to lose their homes and their lives. Because offices became more centralized and access went to computers and phones. You are going to need to take time off to drive older family hundreds of miles. Should be in dictionary example for “travesty.”
Because sitting at the Social Security office right after your spouse dies to get benefits for your children so they can eat, not lose their home, keep their health insurance is exactly what a single parent in mourning needs to be doing
Took my walker-using, ninety-year-old mom to the Social Security office two weeks ago to update data entry errors made during the previous four visits following my dad's death. Hoping she doesn't have to make a sixth trip. Stressful for her.
STEALING YOUR MONEY! How are you, your parents, your grandparents, many who have trouble getting around or are disabled, going to go to the one office left open in the state to collect their own benefits? And in whose hands will that wind up if they are unable to do so?
Dear DOGE, When you break things that don’t belong to you don’t expect the rest of us to be okay with it. American citizen’s duly elected Congress approved and funded our government,agencies and services. Our taxes, Social Security payments are a contract with Govt for the people by the people.
I’m guessing Elon’s AI will be deciding who gets what and how much they get. This is going to be a nightmare. Keep calling your representatives. 🤦🏽♀️ Tell them exactly how you feel about this
So it's screw over the widows and seniors. No phone and close the offices. They will make it impossible to access the benefits that they paid for over their lifetimes. Cruelty and privatization are the goals.
Eliminating federal office space has been a top priority of the new administration. Last month, GSA regional managers received a message from the agency’s Washington headquarters ordering them to begin terminating leases on all of the roughly 7,500 federal offices nationwide
Beware. Social Security page has changed significantly. Less about access, certainly not about service. Using their outside voice inside, we will share your information with just about everybody. Impossible to get through phone lines. #PresidenteTrump is watching.
This seems like a fantastic measure to benefit a population that is likely to be homebound, technologically challenged, and have difficulties or complete inability to travel. Yup. Definitely designed to protect vulnerable. *sarcasm*
I was lucky as it was during Covid when I applied so I was able to do it over the phone. The nearest SS office to me is 3.5 hours away. Living in a very rural state is a HUGE disadvantage in so many ways, but especially with this new rule.
Well, it benefits them in the end is what I mean. All they understand is more power, more wealth, and if that means chopping off every single living limb of the system to do that, they will.
I applied for social security retirement with medicare on 2/5 and still haven't heard anything. My brother who is 70 has been waiting to hear over 3 months. I applied online so it would be faster. I wanted an update so I waited on the phone for an hour. Everything looks OK and I need to wait.
Even before this crap with these changes from Cheeto man, the Social Security office was slow. It took several months to get a response, and that was in September of last year.
Why are people whining about this? How difficult is it to get your chauffeur to drop you right outside the entrance and wait there until you are done? It’s easy, just ask Ludnick’s MIL.
My case review occurred and was awarded same status as prior.
Disabled.
Permanently disabled.
Since 1994.
Since my Military retirement occurred.
Since my USPS retirement occurred.
Since my US Treasury Department retirement occurred.
Not paid retirement.
Not yet.
April 2027 is 24 months away.
To Europeans, most of the rich and powerful that live here have homes and businesses in ur countries. burn them all down to the ground. Action is the only thing these monsters understand.
The power of the people is greater than the people in power! Through the Epic Incompetence of the current administration leader, his actions have embarrassed us in front of our children, humiliated our nation on the world stage, and divided our political nation! Are you/we tired of winning yet?
My guess Is that they will use dark ux design to make the application process more difficult and convoluted... or just break the online application process entirely.
I’m surprised the new president hasn’t shut down the buildings as well.
70 Million Americans rely on their investment in social security.
Millionaires, not one bit!
Fact: they pay no SS tax on earnings above $180k.
Scrap the Cap!
There will be lawsuits and that's a part of what they are trying to do as well. There are already enough lawsuits to tie up the courts for his entire term.
The only thing that could really help here is Congress and the House could be overturning his EOs.
I hope the cowardly GOP reps that are being silent about this have their phones, inboxes and town halls filled with pushback. The next election can't happen soon enough.
Comments
These cuts are disgusting they are hitting SS from the inside , use your voice join a protest speak out you are not alone
It’s money Americans paid into their account for retirement or for family members upon their death or disability.
If nothing changes, it'll easily work
Sure 'Bama, SC, ND, etc. might decide not to do it (but don't count on that) but elections will be held in blue/blue-purple states barring armed occupation.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-trump-simply-floated-idea-of-deporting-u-s-citizens-white-houses-leavitt-says
People often have to send original notarized documents like birth certificates, marriage, licenses, or death certificates to the closest SS office.
This is just going to make it easier for your identity to be stolen, in my opinion.
Only people who are 150 years old... or every feckin person in the world.
Unless UST defaults...
But I think/hope I misread
So, they’re getting what they deserve I guess??
🤷🏻♀️🙃
No where in this entire piece — does it mention that this calamity being inflicted on people — is attributed to what Trump and Elon did — when they conducted mass firing and closures. It’s just the new Social Security Administration’s policy…
People voting against their interests.
The Republican congress are enabling all this and staying silent.
All very predictable now.
>>> This would all STOP if they objected. <<<
They have now become the enemy. Treat them accordingly!
people don't file making it difficult, but easier for them to steal
Republicans got their wish of getting rid of SS .
Stop the steal? It’s coming. How would we even know with all the loyalists in and stock market taking all bandwidth.
"left-leaning" source.
So please remember there are two sides to this, and there are some very fine people on both sides.
Jesus fucking Christ, NPR, you just HAD to make that clear, din'ya?🤮
For all theses seniors, I have one message for you: vote blue till the death.
Vote genocide no matter who!!!!
don't trust anything you read from america anymore
I started to get my propoganda from
Germany France Japan China Saudi Arabia
they call out the Americans hard
Stop the generational warfare bullshit.
I feel like I’m screaming into the void!
It's already a nightmare for several people I know.
He's not doing anything at all but destroying the govt and I don't know how to define that other than treason.
spouse and kids can't get benefits.
yay! more tax breaks for billionaires.
donkey kong is out of his fucking mind
The "P" stands for PRICKS.
Trump says…"why should one generation get to retire when I can ensure that everybody’s lives are ruined"
#FOTUS
"Hurdles" is a vast understatement
People will die.
How to make life even more difficult for the most vulnerable people- MAGA administration is an expert
it’s now “Do I have to, and then what?”
Disabled.
Permanently disabled.
Since 1994.
Since my Military retirement occurred.
Since my USPS retirement occurred.
Since my US Treasury Department retirement occurred.
Not paid retirement.
Not yet.
April 2027 is 24 months away.
ITS TIME
1-202-224-3121
Thanks, #MAGA.
HE LIED AGAIN🤬‼️
Not everyone can go online this feels like leaving seniors behind.
https://www.newsweek.com/social-security-responds-ssa-website-crash-2056646
70 Million Americans rely on their investment in social security.
Millionaires, not one bit!
Fact: they pay no SS tax on earnings above $180k.
Scrap the Cap!
The only thing that could really help here is Congress and the House could be overturning his EOs.