Amid a steady stream of backlash and criticism, Social Security Administration (SSA) officials find themselves in a defensive stance as they deal with accusations of incompetence and poor service. Whether the disparaging assertions are related to excessive telephone wait times, dropped calls, inability to schedule appointments, or incorrect or confusing responses from field personnel, it’s become increasingly clear that the venerable agency is facing a rising tide of negativity that will likely get worse in the years ahead.
Lately, SSA has come under fire as its efforts to “claw back” more than $26 billion in mishandled payments draw a flurry of public and Congressional condemnation. Many of those affected are elderly, poor, or disabled, a fact that adds weight to the gravity of the problem.
SSA, taking the position that inadequate staffing is the root of their problems, openly acknowledges the calamity. ”We are in a full-blown crisis on service delivery,” an official of the labor union representing much of the agency’s workforce exclaimed in a recent Reuters post. With the need to support 3- to 4-million new beneficiaries each year along with the 70 million citizens already enrolled, it becomes clear that there’s a rocky road ahead for anyone trying to negotiate Social Security’s vast complexities.
AMAC Foundation to the Rescue!
What to do? AMAC, through the services of its nonprofit affiliate AMAC Foundation, has built a record of pitching in on behalf of America’s seniors in need of guidance. Its Social Security Advisory Service offers the expertise of a staff of trained and accredited Advisors who each year counsel thousands of American citizens on the intricacies of Social Security, with a nearly 100% satisfaction rate and a goal of responding to all inquiries within a business day.
With eight years now in the books, this highly acclaimed, free service continues to draw accolades from an appreciative public—people needing to be guided through the maze of rules and regulations that have a tremendous impact on their wellbeing. Often, our Advisors serve to rescue folks from the state of confusion they’ve fallen into because of the program’s massive collection of rules and regulations and their inability to obtain SSA field office support.
An Example of the Problem
Our Advisory Staff features seven trained and accredited professionals available to respond to email and telephone inquiries from the public, routinely responding to questions covering a wide range of topics. Since the most frequent of these topics is spousal benefits and the various options available to filers, here’s a recent example of the value we provide to callers: A client, a woman in her early 80s, contacted us regarding an article from our office discussing spousal benefits, noting that when she filed for retirement benefits in 2005, she reported that the SSA field office where she applied did not advise her of her eligibility for incremental benefits based on her husband’s work record. This, even though her husband accompanied her at the appointment! To make matters worse, SSA is now refusing to retroactively award the full benefit she was entitled to receive, offering instead a mere six months of “catch up” benefit payments. Our staff helped her package the supporting documentation she needed to file an appeal to recover the enormous underpayment due because of this SSA mistake.
The AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisory Service is a free service provided to the public, with a staff dedicated to helping folks deal with the many complexities of this massive program.
This brings to mind; I am getting tired of watching the Low-Life AARP advertise on Fox News, I would rather have a bad case of Hemorrhoids, than be a member of AARP.
Screwed up just like the other Govt. departments. And some people want the Govt. to run everything. ????? Kyle L.
Wish I had known about this last year when I ran into the incompetency of SSA. I had to travel to the nearest SS office to get it straightened out. This should not be necessary for us seniors in their 80’s. We are not computer savvy we rely on help via a real person on the phone. When it takes months to get it resolved and our checks do not show up, talk about being stressed. Not everyone has money laying around to pay the bills and buy food when the checks don’t arrive. Just another snag ole Joe is okay with. After all we have a duty to die. We are just contributing to the climate change, after all we still breathe. We are bad for the environment.
Good job AMAC.
I think all govt agencys with unions will always have problems.
What we need are a few more illegal aliens in America drawing on SS and voting for communists in the senate and what used to be the People’s House. That’ll hasten repairs to SSA I’m sure. I seriously hope that when American falls, it falls squarely on the corrupt cretins who got us into this mess.
I have a suggestion, get rid of the government union workers. Once those lazy ba$tard$ get in they prop their feet up and live the good life. This doesn’t apply to all union workers. I know that a lot of the trades that are unionized have to be for the workers safety and wellbeing. Think coal miners and steel workers to name a couple. Office pansies, cut me a break.
I’ve had nothing but good service from Social Security, so I guess it’s more WHO (what person specifically) you are dealing with. As in any government agency there are good employees and those who simply collect a paycheck. As far as needed help, they should divert some of those IRS agents they allotted money for to SS offices!!!
the SSA has plenty of staff. what they do not have is workers. the laziest people on earth work for the SSA.
What they need is every 6 month reviews of job performance on which any raises, or cuts in pay, will be based, the end of all affirmative action and DEI hiring or retention, and the elimination of all unions. If they show up late for work dock their pay. If they don;t show up it comes out of their vacation days first and sick leave second. end all black privilege. end all Hispanic privilege and make everyone in the office work as hard as eh white males have to work.
This sounds like a good thing because most of the time you get put on hold, or you are sent to an automated voice system who can’t get anything right when having to talk to him or it.Not your name ,SSN#, phone number, not anything. It’s kind of like spellcheck on your computer it can’t spell anything right either, or it changes the word because it doesn’t like what you spelled. Answering systems are that bad, and so is spellcheck on a computer.And we want to go to AI why?????????????
I am definitely NOT a patient person but I could never work for any government agency as everyone complains about their perceived lack of service whether real or not.
Maybe they should take some of the IRS agents they are hiring and have them work for SS.
Thanks for reminding me I should apply as soon as possible before they give my “lockbox” away to the flood of illegals!
SS Reforms:
Automate systems
Reduce overhead
Merge depts
Base SS on robotic production?
Outsource to save $$$
Cut Waste, fraud
Wow…mishandling 26 billion in SSA payments…this is unbelievable! My problem is with all of the American taxpayer’s money which is going to illegal aliens in the billions that are breaking our laws day in & day out! These funds are going to people who have NO right to receive it, it should be going to our senior citizens, veterans, citizens again I say citizens of our country! Also, most senior citizens do not receive enough benefits on SS who worked hard most of our lives to receive it & with the outrageous self imposed inflation by the Biden Administration we are all struggling, but our government can put out billions for Ukraine, foreign aid that is not deserved for a lot of crooked countries, the New Green Deals, you name it! Then you have Medicare which is a lucrative business which is killing senior citizens because we have to pay for deductibles, Part B premiums, both which keep raising every year, not to mention having to carry Part D and oh of course Plans to cover the 20% that is not picked up under Medicare Part B…my husband & I have Plan G’s which quarterly costs my husband $548 & myself $388, which is so costly for us being retired. We are paying more now than we did through our employers on private insurance…they go by the number of employees at jobs, well who has more numbers than the 70 million on SS, we are being overcharged drastically on Medicare! If seniors didn’t have to pay all of this money out for medical coverage, we would all be living a lot more comfortable. I have contacted my senators in Iowa and the answer I get is to look for help with Medicaid and we can get no help on food stamps because we are not poverty level…but lets go ahead & give it to people who don’t want to work or illegals from all across the world! Yes, we are bitter after working 35+ years with each of us, we don’t want a hand out which we have never had, we have worked for everything we have including raising two children to adulthood, but we have own government and politicians working against us!!!
Why do so many politicians see the SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST as a personal piggy bank for their enjoyment? This is NOT THEIR money and no one should be allowed access. We senior citizens paid into this account and depend on it…I understand Biden wants to make illegals eligible for benefit ???? NOT unless they paid into the fund with the same requirement we did.
The solution to SS is to only use it for what it was originally intended for! If you go to one of their offices less than 10% of the people in there are of retirement age. The rest are unwed mothers wanting support for their kids and people who have never paid into the system. STOP USING THE MONEY FOR THINGS IT WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR!!!!
Think about how much money SS is saving because of covid and the jab because of all the deaths. It’s all about population control. They are following the lead of China. They spent all the money people have put in to Medicare and SS their whole lives and come to find out now they have Medicare Plan A, B, C, D and who knows what other new loopholes they have added and we have to pay for Medicare now.
I wish there was a way the American taxpayer could band together and force our greedy, wasteful government Dems and Republicans to stop taxing our Social Security Checks. Until the 1980’s there was NO tax on SSA checks. Our BIG government waste too much of our hard earned money. We need to keep our money! Go tax Harvard Univ.
Way to Go AMAC. Thank You.
Do not know enough about the SSA claw back of $26 Billion mishandled funds to comment on this article? Was this fraud or payments made that should not have been or what? The only comment I have is that the Social Security Fund had a surplus of $2 Trillion at end of year 2022 & the time is overdue for Congress to act & shore this program up so that it lasts longer that year 2033. Write your representatives & let them know your stand on this issue!
I guess I’m lucky, never a problem with SSA in 5 years. The VA on the other hand- great service at the facility, but the financial and web platforms? DEPLORABLE!
Dealing with SSA you must realize that you are dealing with the government, so go in expecting little, and that it will take a long time. Maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.
AMAC has been the most helpful entity in helping to get around the enormous increases for supplemental insurance. Gold bless them for all they offer in word and deed! Merry Christmas!
Unfortunately I had to retire because of Cancer.My 401k took a nosedive, not really able to make ends meet, I’d rather be dead than go on public assistance! I am angry that invaders get $5k stipend to jump the border let alone get free medical & $2k monthly benefits! While I stopped tx because I can’t afford any higher medical payments to bad we don’t get interest on what we paid!!
When doing your federal taxes, fill out the provided “worksheet” to determine how much of your Social Security is taxable… Then go to their website and locate the “Figure Your S/S Tax Liability” page and input the exact same numbers you used on the worksheet… You will get a much different answer!
I’ve tried both ways, and sometimes I’ve been fined and penalized (plus interest) for underpayment, and sometimes I’ve gotten a check back, several years later, with interest (that is then reportable as taxable income!). So both ways are obviously just Wrong.
I’ve used their :Feedback” to tell them about this in past years, and NEVER got any kind of response.
I Googled for months as to my foreign Green Card wife (since 2010) if/how she could possibly “get onto” my Medicare (she will have to pay for part B, I have about 50 years of paying taxes to Uncle Sam). Found partial info. here & there. Found an answer on SS website, but using the word “MAY BE” in the sentence. SS has a piecemeal approach to explaining many things, like IRS Tax Code & rules. We have dig up the complete answer to many questions by digging up answers all over the internet and piecing them together like a gig saw puzzle. I called Medicare & Social Security (LONG>>>>>>wait time!) and got DIFFERENT ANSWER EVERY TIME I TALKED TO SOMEONE!
So, I decided to use a SSA website to schedule an appointment to start the Medicare signup process. The signup process to have an online SSA website account is more complex than ever!! The US government is surrounded by a thick heavy wall called LOGIN.gov run by an ID verifying contractor(1-844-875-6446) who gives Experian Credit Bureau EVERYTHING about us!! The ID verifying (DATA PIRATES I CALL THEM) Co. REFUSED TO GIVE ME THEIR REAL NAME! Supposedly the General Services Adm. is in control of this/these ID verifying contractors who surround the US Gov. websites used by us to login to various US Gov. websites.
Luckily, I had setup a SSA Login in 2016. WOW! I was happy. It was easy to setup in 2016. Not so today! So, I have that done.
Next, I found SSA Field Office Locator website where I got a special phone # to call local SSA office using the Zip Code for local SSA office.. I could talk to SSA person with a short wait. Of, course we can Login to our SSA website A/C and do same.
Next gather all the BS paperwork (aka documents) to VERIFY HER IDENTITY FOR THE 20th TIME and do the business for a simple question: Can my foreign wife “jump onto” my Medicare, pay for part B, etc. and have Medicare medical coverage? Just one question takes months of internet searching, reading much incomplete SSA info. about my question, waiting, logging in, calling to get appointment, locating many documents, etc. From making an appointment by phone to actual appointment day is about 6 weeks.
A look in the mirror shows my hair is whiter and less of it!
I have to say I recently called the San Luis Obispo,CA office two days ago to get a better understanding of IRMAA – Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. The agent I spoke with was Jimmy and he was very courteous and answered my questions in a way that was easy for me to understand. Several months ago I called this same office to change my address after moving to the San Luis Obispo area and received the same efficient and helpful service. So my experience with this office has been excellent. My experience with the Torrance, CA office before moving was 50/50 for poor and excellent service. Occasionally I encountered an agent that was surly and not courteous, so I understand that many people have had bad experiences and in general government workers do not have as much incentive to give good service as in the private sector.
get them all back into the office. Next year, give us instructions on what we need to do to get a decent ss raise to match the true cost of living.
Funny how you never hear of the welfare system going broke.
I’m one of the lucky ones but I’m still glad that AMAC is there and has my back!!
My late husband and I had to make FOUR in- person visits to social security offices because they gave us print outs with differing amounts on phone calls. Finally, on the fourth visit they ‘ allowed’ us to sit with a ‘ specially trained’ tech who gave us a print out with a new amount which she swore was correct.