AFGE Member Testifies Trump Administration Deliberately Sabotages Social Security, Beneficiaries

An AFGE member who’s working at a Social Security office detailed how Trump’s recent staffing cuts and changes to operational procedures have created even more obstacles for the public to access benefits and will force more people to travel to severely understaffed field offices.

Testifying before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee on Social Security April 1, Rennie Glasgow, a claims technical expert who’s handling the most complex cases at the Schenectady Social Security office in New York, said the implementation of a two-step identification process alone means individuals who have trouble logging onto their online account will now have to travel to an office and verify their identity in person. This policy change alone will result in 75,000 to 80,000 more in-person visits to already overwhelmed SSA offices.

Glasglow said Schenectady office has recently lost seven employees. It takes a minimum of two years for an employee to be fully trained. SSA has essentially thrown decades of collective experience out the door.

“This represents a devastating sabotage of institutional knowledge and experience,” he told lawmakers. “For the public, the consequences of this sabotage are severe. A grandmother living in Saratoga Springs now faces waiting times two or three times longer than before just to get someone to answer the phone for a simple address change. Alternatively, she must travel to our local office and spend an entire day waiting for assistance.”