From the New York Times:
When Eleanor H., 66, called the Social Security Administration last month seeking details about her retirement benefits, she didn’t expect to comfort the representative who answered. The woman started sobbing.
“I asked her what was wrong, and she said she and her co-workers were informed by email to accept a taxable $20,000 payout or risk termination,” said Eleanor, who lives in New Jersey (she asked to use only her first name out of privacy concerns).
The rep still answered all of Eleanor’s questions. “Through her tears she said, ‘What am I going to do?’” …
[I]n recent weeks, the Trump administration, led by Elon Musk’s crew of cost cutters at the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has taken its chain saw to the agency’s operations. …
Michael Astrue, a former agency commissioner appointed by President George W. Bush, said it appeared that Mr. Musk has imported the strategy he used when he bought Twitter, “where you go into some place established, level it and then figure you’re going to improvise your way out,” he said, speaking at a briefing on Thursday held by the National Academy of Social Insurance. “It’s extremely destructive.” …
Jason Fichtner, who held several positions at the agency, including deputy commissioner and chief economist, put it even more bluntly at the briefing. “It’s more like a drunk operating a wrecking ball,” he said. …
16 comments:
The hardest thing right now is that we have to keep working as though nothing is wrong in order to serve our vulnerable population. We are in turmoil and it is getting harder to pretend nothing is wrong. We are human and the stress and anxiety we are under is not conducive to high performance day in and day out….
This is what happens when we elect people who main motivation is money. What to do about it? Red states must elect more democrats until 2028. Then elect a democrat president to reverse the current administration.
Republicans hell bent on killing Social Security better note what’s going on in Argentina!
https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/pensioners-the-biggest-losers-of-mileis-first-year-in-office.phtml
I feel for this person. I have been in fight or flight mode since our poor brothers and sisters in OCREO and OT were recklessly and illegally fired a few weeks ago. What’s worse is that the executives who didn’t abandon ship don’t really seem to empathize with employees and what we’re going through. We’re constantly kept on the dark. What a failure in leadership. This is no way to run an organization, especially one whose employees serve the most vulnerable disabled, elderly, and poor populations.
I knew this was coming based on the callers I deal with who repeatedly stated how much they hated Biden. That's why I got out and retired last year. I knew Trump and his goons would be hell bent on killing Social Security.
Crying about coworkers getting a 20k buyout is not going to get any sympathy from the public who are barely surviving. Federal employees are public enemy number one and we have to try to be professional everyday at work. The public only cares that you complete the tasks that you are assigned to do. The reality is that this individual is saddened to be losing friends but also that additional workloads will needed to be worked on. That’s a bad combination.
You have a bleak, and inaccurate, view of humanity. Most people care about their fellow human beings. Don’t be a jerk.
Reach out to your elected officials. Congressional Representatives, US Senators, your Governor, and all your state representatives. Red or Blue does not matter. Let them know that you, your family members are getting hurt here. As Republicans are afraid of town halls. Request that your Democrat setup town hall. Invite everybody. Our voices need to be heard far and wide. Not just about Social Security, but all Federal Government services along with State and Local services that receive funding. This affects every citizen in the country.
We don’t live in Disneyland. Look whose occupying the White House.
The representative assured Eleanor that she thought her retirement benefits would be safe.
How does the representative know?
The rep still answered all of Eleanor’s questions. “Through her tears she said, ‘What am I going to do?’”
Is she thinking about her coworkers … nope.
https://popular.info/p/exclusive-memo-details-trump-plan
So now Axios has gotten hold of a memo dated 3/13 to slash 800# services.
https://www.axios.com/2025/03/17/social-security-trump-doge
Axios obtained a draft of the memo, signed by acting deputy Social Security commissioner for operations Doris Diaz on March 13, and written on behalf of the agency's operations department.
Its existence was first reported by Popular.Info, which published screenshots of a subsequent version, sent to acting commissioner Leland Dudek a little later that day.
Context: The memo was sent one day after the agency denied, in a press release, a report it was scrapping its toll-free phone line.
The agency, at the time, said the change would only preclude people from changing their bank account information by phone.
But the new memo — issued one day later — proposes changes that will further limit what people can do by phone. Under the proposal, phone service would still be available to people who call the agency and don't need to verify their identity, like someone making a general inquiry.
The draft of the memo viewed by Axios says the proposed limitations will be "significant" for those living in rural areas in particular.
It's a shame and a disgrace the way SSA employees have been treated since Trump and Musk took over:
*required weekly accomplishment reports,
*OPM Emails with insults about how we should take " a more productive private industry job, "
* telework completely terminated,
*implied threats of being fired if we don't take the buyout.
I loved my Claims Specialist job, and helping the public, until all this started. Often worked past my shift, on my own time, because I know how vital the work is.
But enough is enough. I am eligible for retirement and I'm taking it, along with the 20K buyout and a month of administrative leave.. Thursday is my my last day of work, I turn my badge and laptop in on Friday.
This happens in the private sector all the time, but with no buyout, no incentive, they just let you go. Nothing you can do about it. Its not something new or special, it is how business has operated for many decades now. I do feel for the folks that lose a job, but no more than when a plant shuts down, they close a mill, or the folks at JoAnns Fabric that went bankrupt and shut down. The VEs would say you have transferable skills, so transfer them, you can always be a pan greaser, ask any denied claimant.
The United States government is not a business. Nor should it be. Full stop.
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