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Season 5, Episode 80

Low funding and staff led to the closure of Social Security offices

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America's Work Force Union Podcast AWF Alliance for Retired Americans

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Norm Wernet, President of the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the problems created by the lack of funding for Social Security Administration field offices.

Wernet discussed the impact of the recent tax cuts on the retirement benefits for members of the Alliance. He talked about the methods used to determine tax rates across the nation. Meanwhile, the same lawmakers are contemplating whether Social Security field offices should be kept open, potentially leaving residents seeking local assistance without an option, Wernet said.

According to Wernet, more public knowledge is available on Social Security issues, which has led to more vocal support for the administration. He also discussed what has created a distrust of the system meant to help retirees. Wernet added that the needed funding should have already been in place and will not contribute to debt, so it should not be included in National Debt conversations.

Finally, Wernet said many of the field offices for Social Security are struggling with understaffing. This understaffing comes from a lack of available funds to hire more staff and the inability to retain employees due to low wages. If there aren’t employees to work with the Social Security Offices, claims won’t be processed, and if claims aren’t processed retirees are left to fend for themselves, Wernet said.

Listen to the episode above for more.

America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

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