Social Security Agency: GOP Spending Cuts Could Force Furloughs Of Social Security Workers

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Upping the ante in the budget faceoff, the Obama administration warned Friday that workers who distribute Social Security benefits might be furloughed if congressional Republicans force cuts in federal spending.

In a letter the Social Security Administration sent to its employees' union, agency officials said that while no decision about a furlough had been made, one was possible "given the potential of reduced congressional appropriations."

The letter was circulated by congressional Democrats, who said in a written statement that such cuts could mean shuttered Social Security offices and delayed benefit payments. The letter's distribution by Democrats underscored how the threat of jeopardizing Social Security payments is a potent political weapon.

Republicans are pushing a huge spending bill through the House that would impose deep cuts on domestic programs.

The overall bill is the first step in an increasingly bitter struggle between Democrats and Republicans over how much to cut federal agencies' funding over the second half of the budget year that ends Sept. 30. Current funding runs out March 4 and a temporary spending bill will be needed to avoid a government shutdown.

Read more: http://www.newser.com/article/d9lfaceo0/social-security-agency-gop-spending-cuts-could-force-furloughs-of-social-security-workers.html

[sasha031]

1. if I am understanding correctly, They are trying to defund SS!!!!!

[robcon]

2. Fewer SS offices/SS employees is a small price to pay...

to keep benefits steady.

[CreekDog]

4. you're saying they need less employees?

to run the program?

you know this somehow? i guess you have a lot of expertise in how the SSA is run and what it's required to do. where by chance did you get that experience? did you have a stint at the agency running its operations? were you an analyst who reviewed their operations for an audit of some sort?

just curious. since you speak with such authority and confidence.

[Kingofalldems]

5. Excellent question.

[chowhound]

7. that's not how i read it....

sounds like he's saying that a loss of a few ss workers/offices is a small price to pay to keep benefit levels constant. sound to me like you're putting words in his post.

[CreekDog]

8. what good are the benefits if the checks don't go out?

what good are the benefits if the backlog is so bad that you don't get them for ages after you sign up?

[JDPriestly]

11. Problem is that it probably won't keep benefits steady. I think that is the problem,

It's the employees who keep the benefits steady.

[Joe Bacon]

12. Let me enlighten you!

I work in Social Security's 800 number. Every day I deal with around 100 callers who want to either start a claim, change address or direct deposit, report other changes, have delayed payments or are in dire need of other help. For those with delayed payments I follow up with other components.

Listen to these words and get enlightened like Superman. WE DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE STAFF TO CLEAR ACTIONS TIMELY! We also have to deal with forces beyond our control, such as was in California under that god-damned asshole Arnold who furloughed the state workers who process California disability claims. Many times I've had desperate people yelling at me from California screaming because their disability claims aren't processed. And the response from the California Disability Determination Service is "We're sorry, but we're backlogged because of the furloughed employees" Now, YOUR Social Security taxes pay the full operating expense for each state's Disability Determination Service, yet Arnold took that money and redirected it which was clearly an illegal move.

Another problem we have is with Medicare "D", the Prescription Drug program, where every insurance company has different rules. They also get on the cheap by outsourcing their customer service departments. So we get lots of calls from pissed off Medicare "D" beneficiaries who can't get the prescriptions they need and their insurance company flunkies pass the buck to us.

Even after all this, we still get calls from pissed off teabaggers who think we make $100,000 a year and sit around playing poker all day instead of working.

I work my fucking ass off every day and I even work off the clock in the morning to get the office open and running. And the thanks I get from the fucking KOCHSUCKERS in the Whorehouse of Representatives is that they are going to furlough me for 20 days. And where is the President? WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU OBAMA, WHY ARE YOU NOT STANDING WITH HARRY REID WHO IS FIGHTING HIS ASS OFF FOR US?

[Enthusiast]

14. Yesterday CBS evening news

did a hit piece on social security fraud. They showed film of several people working while they received disability benefits. One of the workers portrayed even worked for social security! It seems to me that the computer should automatically alert social security that there is such a discrepancy. The piece did say that there were not enough personnel to keep an adequate check of fraud. I got the impression that the main purpose of the piece was to tarnish disabled workers as slackers.

[mysuzuki2]

17. social security IS notified when someone goes back

to work and does not report it. There is an interface between SSA and IRS. We catch them all the time. Often it does not mean that benefits stop right away or at all but it is investigated. The problem is that the interface does not occur for a year or 2 after the fact. Of course, if someone is working off the books or under a false social security # this makes it more difficult. But you'd be surprised at how often "friends" will turn them in even in these circumstances.

[Joe Bacon]

18. CBS=Conservative Bull Shit

I stopped watching CBS after they tanked Dan Rather. Like the rest of the Corporate Controlled Conservative Press (CCCP), they have their agenda and they push it all the time. They want to shame anyone who gets benefits.

This shit about disabled people being slackers--well I take it personally! My dad was cleaning a machine in his factory. they turned it on and crushed his arm. For five years he was in and out of the hospital as they put him back together, and he had a worker comp examiner on his ass every second harassing him to go back to work so the comp payments would stop. This was before there were Social Security disability payments. Dad was shamed by that examiner, and the rest of the town looked down on him too for "being a slacker". He never got over that, even after he was able to go back to work full time.

Left me with a lifetime hatred of those who live in their Ayn Randian LAISSEZ FAIRYLAND. And I really got a problem with these KOCHROACHES on Social Security and SSI who call up and tell us how much they hate the "N" word President in the White House...

[Enthusiast]

21. I'm with you, Joe Bacon.

The worst are the racist Teabaggers collecting social security and medicare yet they hate "socialism". They don't mind socialism for themselves but anyone else is somehow undeserving.

[mysuzuki2]

15. Hi Joe

I retired two weeks ago from SSA after 30 years. I was a Technical Expert at a field office in Milwaukee. What you say is 100% correct. SSa staff levels have been dwindling for years. @0 years ago we had about 50 employees in my office. When I left it was just over 30. Computers do not make up the difference. People have to wait up to 3 weeks for an appointment. When they walk into an office cold they can wait 3-4 hours before being seen. Most payments are automated so they arrive on time regardless. BUT, may the gods help you if there's a prob len requiring human intervention. And there are plenty of those. The next ice age can come before it gets resolved. To put it bluntly, SSA offices are not able to do the job they are supposed to do. There is enormous pressure to "make the numbers"; and this is often done to make it look like a good job is being done. The truth is I saw tremendous declines in quality of service over 30 years. SSA employees work hard and try their best to help everyone who comes to the office. But the job just can't be done with the resources provided. Furloughs will make this even worse. BTW, Wisconsin did the same with the Wi disability determination staff. Now that I'm retired with my 30 years of expertise and experience, will I be replaced? Not on your life! My place will go unfilled for years if not permanently. However, when managers leave or retire they are almost always replaced within a few weeks.

[Joe Bacon]

19. Glad you can retire!

I have 32 years in. Can't retire unless I match six lotto numbers...

[Kingofalldems]

3. Repubs are vandals--they want to destroy the New Deal

One of the best things to happen to working Americans.

[RKP5637]

6. Exactly, it's all part of their plan, dismantle it piece by piece, throw all the

money and shenanigans as needed to dismantle the New Deal. Then have Americans feeding at the troughs for any scraps they can get while working for the lowest common denominator global wage possible. I wish Americans would wake the F up and quit falling for republican divisiveness. Americans are so easily herded around.

[madrchsod]

9. remember--only democrats take social security..

republicans would never take part in a socialist government program

[Kingofalldems]

10. Except for their heroine--Ayn Rand who took both SS and Medicare I'm told

[Joe Bacon]

20. And don't forget Paul Ryan!

The same asshole who wants to gut Social Security is the same 16 year old kid who GOT Social Security benefits!

http://firedoglake.com/2011/01/28/ayn-rand-fanboy-paul-ryan-used-social-security-hammock-to-put-himself-through-college/

[StarsInHerHair]

13. raise the payroll tax up to $500,000 at LEAST, if not to $1 million!

why are those who've MOST benefitted from our capitalist society refusing to support our nation?

[defendandprotect]

16. Amazing how the GOP is running our lives with a small majority in the House!!

Something we are supposed to believe Democrats couldn't do with a large majority --

and which Democrats can't stop!!

What crap!