Dear John,

Many seniors and people with disabilities are relieved that their local Social Security field offices have reopened to the public after being shuttered since the beginning of the pandemic. But problems continue to plague the Social Security Administration (SSA)-run field offices which were struggling well before the pandemic to provide adequate customer service.

At a recent congressional hearing held by the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee on SSA customer service, witnesses testified that the agency is in dire need of additional resources in order to properly serve the public. In my statement to the subcommittee, I acknowledged the extraordinary job of SSA and its employees to make the most effective use of the dollars they have been appropriated. But I stressed that backlogs continue to grow while staff levels have dropped — and Congress must act to ensure SSA is able to fulfill its mission.

At a time when more than 10,000 Americans are turning 65 every day — and the number of seniors is projected to double by 2050 — it is crucial that older Americans can rely on a strong SSA to field their questions or provide help. However, for years SSA has been woefully underfunded and SSA has closed field offices in an attempt to cut costs.

These are your earned benefits on the line — because decent service in administering Social Security is itself part of those benefits. It’s vital we fight to strengthen them, and with your supporting gift today in whatever amount you can safely afford, that is exactly what we will continue to do!

Sincerely,

Max Richtman
President & CEO