Long waits, website crashes: Social Security is breaking down

漫长等待,网站崩溃:社会保障体系正陷入困境

Post Reports

新闻

2025-04-10

24 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

How DOGE’s cost-cutting at the Social Security Administration is making it harder to get in touch with representatives there — and harder to access benefits.
更多

单集文稿 ...

  • The Social Security Administration has become a main target of Elon Musk's efforts to root out fraud and shrink the government.

  • Social security provides retirement income to tens of millions of Americans.

  • For many seniors, it's the only money they live on.

  • And politically, it's always been untouchable.

  • Which is why President Trump has promised repeatedly that he's not taking away anyone's benefits.

  • Here he is talking to NBC's Kristen Welker.

  • You won't touch Medicare Social Security?

  • No, I said to be, we're not touching Social Security,

  • other than we make it more efficient, but the people are going to get what they're getting.

  • But a little over two months into Trump's second term,

  • seniors say things have gotten worse, especially with the agency's customer service.

  • The estimated whole time is greater than 120 minutes.

  • I was waiting on the line for three and a half hours before I hung up and heard nothing.

  • It was the same song over and over, which was horrible.

  • You have to wait like an hour and a half on the phone if you call and if you go there, you might be a half a day.

  • So she went to make an appointment and found there weren't any available in Seattle

  • that she would send a note to the Seattle office and they would contact me in five to seven working days.

  • They did not do that.

  • That was Cynthia DeGrosse, Tam Dixon, and Noelle Saunders, who spoke with our producer Laura Benchoff.

  • They all received Social Security benefits.