“The Social Security Administration (SSA) has reversed its new policy of limiting phone service on the agency’s 1-800 line, where beneficiaries would no longer be able to claim benefits by telephone, forcing seniors to go online or to an SSA field office. SSA’s announcement yesterday that seniors and other eligibles will be able to continue claiming benefits by phone is a victory for Social Security beneficiaries across the country. The Trump administration did not change the policy out of the goodness of their hearts. They responded to public pressure. This is a victory for advocacy on the grassroots and national level, by and on behalf of the millions of seniors who depend on phone service from the Social Security Administration. The Trump administration has been busy erecting barriers for people simply trying to access their earned benefits. We are glad this one barrier has fallen. While they are at it, SSA and their DOGE overlords should reverse other harmful policies they have enacted under the phony cover of hunting for ‘waste and fraud,’ including radically reducing the agency’s workforce that serves the public, making plans to close field offices, and re-instituting default withholding of up to 100% of people’s benefit checks in the case of accidental overpayments (usually caused by SSA itself). Those would be important next steps in mitigating the damage they have already done.” Max Richtman, President & CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
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Walter Gottlieb
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