Jessica LaPointe, President of AFGE Council 220, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the critical challenges facing the Social Security Administration (SSA), like staffing, policy changes impacting beneficiaries and ongoing threats to union contracts.
The SSA is grappling with a staffing crisis of historic proportions, according to LaPointe. She said the agency has reached a 50-year low in staffing while serving an all-time high number of beneficiaries. This shortage, which LaPointe said is being made worse by underfunding and budget cuts, has led to severe service delays. She claimed that 20 percent of congressional workloads now involve answering Social Security questions about delays, with initial disability claims taking over eight months to process and hearing decisions taking two and a half years. LaPointe also claimed the situation has become so bad that 30,000 Americans have died while waiting for their earned Social Security benefits.
Recent policy changes have further complicated the SSA's ability to serve beneficiaries effectively. LaPointe discussed implementing a new two-step identification process, which has caused confusion and increased the burden on already overwhelmed field offices. This change, aimed at reducing fraud, has resulted in long lines and frustrated beneficiaries, especially as seniors and disabled individuals must travel to field offices to verify their identity in person. LaPointe claimed these measures were implemented to chase "statistical noise" at the expense of the most vulnerable beneficiaries.
The union itself faces significant challenges as the current administration seeks to dismantle worker protections. LaPointe discussed ongoing legal battles, including a lawsuit filed by the SSA against AFGE regarding contract negotiations. She expressed concern about potential losses in representational time, dues withholding and other crucial union rights if the administration succeeds in imposing its contract terms. Despite these threats, LaPointe said the union's resilience and commitment to fighting for workers' rights are on display.
To hear more about the issues facing Social Security and its workers, listen to the full episode above with LaPointe.