Earlier this month, a front-page article in the Washington Post described the turmoil at Social Security offices since the Covid 19 pandemic. Services at Social Security offices have deteriorated. In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, explains that Congress is to blame; only Congress has the power to ensure Social Security offices operate smoothly.
The Washington Post reports that millions of poor, sick and older Americans are not receiving Social Security benefits or not getting assistance from Social Security offices as a result of limited services since the pandemic. Claims are taking much longer to process, people due disability benefits are having to wait long periods and lines outside Social Security offices can stretch 40-people long.
The 1,230 Social Security field offices began re-opening earlier this year. But, they have served 46 percent fewer people than they have in the past. Some 20 million people have not been able to get help. Pre-pandemic, these offices served 43 million people a year. To address this enormous challenge, Social Security officials have asked Congress for an additional $800,000,000. The money has not been forthcoming.
Many Americans do not know that Social Security is an earned benefit. Much like life insurance, you pay in during your lifetime of work and then, when you retire, you receive benefits. Social Security pays for itself, including for its administration. Like traditional Medicare, it is extremely cost-effective.
However, Congress needs to appropriate money from the Social Security Trust Funds for Social Security’s administration. And, for years, “decades” explains Drew Altman, President of the Kaiser Family Foundation, Congress has not appropriated the funds needed for Social Security to administer benefits as it should. Its workload has increased, but its staff has decreased 25 percent, from 81,000 in 1985 to 60,000 today.
To repeat, funds to administer Social Security benefits do not contribute to the deficit. They come directly from the Social Security Trust Funds. Social Security today has a surplus of $2.9 trillion. Still Congress appropriates less than one half of one percent of Social Security’s surplus for its administration.
If Congress increased its appropriation for Social Security only slightly, Social Security would have the funds to do the important work it needs to do. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, would be receiving the earned income they paid for and now need. What’s stopping Congress from doing right by them?
Here’s more from Just Care:
Leave a Reply