From The Columbian:
For the past several weeks, Sandra Graber has been desperately trying to help her friend, a 79-year-old Vancouver [Washington] resident, recover Social Security payments that didn’t arrive in December and January.
Her friend can’t go online to resolve the issue because she doesn’t own a computer.
Many senior citizens across Clark County and the United States are grappling with recent changes to Social Security and the increasing role that digital technology plays in their day-to-day lives.
Graber — a Cornelius, Ore., resident — didn’t want her friend named because she has early-onset dementia. Graber serves as her agent under power of attorney. She recently took her to the Social Security Administration office in Vancouver, where they were told that they could either wait in line for several hours or make an appointment for two months out.
“They should be helping us. We’re paying them to help us,” Graber said. “And saying, ‘We’re short staffed; we just can’t get to it,’ that’s inexcusable. I’m sure there’s other people out there that are having the same problem that we’re having, and I feel sorry for them.” …
Graber, however, remains frustrated that the system hasn’t provided a viable way for people such as her friend who can’t go online and can’t easily confirm their identity in person or via phone call due to medical issues to access their benefits.
“There are people out there with different problems,” Graber said. “It just doesn’t make a lot of sense.” …
This is literally an every day problem at SSA. It is a helpless feeling trying to assist customers like these. The morons in charge don't realize an ever-aging population cannot do business online. Even for those astute enough to, many can't even get past the ID verification process on ssa.gov through ID.me or Login.gov. It used to be somewhat helpful when we could access myssa accounts online to help people get access codes or even delete an account for them and have them start over. Once that all changed this past year, it just became a lost cause. The system is just so flawed it's just not even meant to work any more. Frank and his minions are so out of touch, I can't even stand getting an email from him. I'd love to have us all give him a piece of our minds but even that wouldn't help because he and his team don't care about anything other than pushing telephone service and the pathetic website.
ReplyDeleteYou can give him a piece of your mind. Just email him. Of course, you won’t be anonymous.
DeleteWelcome to SSA in 2026. More than 7k employees have left the agency. SSA employees are not miracle workers and most of us are trying our best under tough circumstances. Have you contacted your representative to file a complaint? Our leadership in Washington also gets paid by the taxpayers but they are on another ten day vacation while the government is partially shut down. This is a funding issue so that the ultra rich can get their tax break.
ReplyDeleteWe’re paying them to help us,” Graber said. “And saying, ‘We’re short staffed; we just can’t get to it,’ that’s inexcusable.
Perhaps SSA can introduce a Frankie Tier (tm) Subscription, where all of your casework and inquiries will be prioritized above all others - for the low, low cost of just $129.99 / Month
ReplyDeleteIt’s fun to vote GOP and cheer on funding cuts until those birds come home to roost, huh
ReplyDeleteSure is
DeleteYep, still waiting OVER a year now for them to process my very simple move. 🙄
ReplyDeleteWhy don’t you schedule an appointment and ask to speak to a technical expert to resolve this “simple” task.
Delete@6:56 - I live on an island, and the SSA office is on it's own island. There is an SSA office up north, but it's 800 miles away. Regardless, it's $400-$550 to reach an SSA office by air. Ferry is more.
DeleteDemocracy in action. Yawn.
ReplyDeleteWait until AI takes your job away or cuts your Social Security benefits. Is this what you mean by democracy at work?
Delete@6:56 - great, so this person schedules an appointment with the CTE. Except what needs to get done doesn’t get done because the CTE has another appointment in 10-minutes ALL DAY. And then will spend the other 3-4 days of the week doing 800#, local phones, or more reception. Never having a chance to actually take the action. Nothing gets resolved and the backlog continues to grow.
ReplyDelete