Brace for Impact: Social Security Delays Coming in 2025!
Heads up, everyone! If lawmakers don’t hammer out funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA) by the end of this year, we might see some frustrating delays in customer services come 2025.
The SSA has already hit the brakes on hiring since November, thanks to Congress denying the extra funds needed to keep things running smoothly in September. Continuing resolutions are supposed to prevent government shutdowns, but they just keep the financial status quo until a solid fiscal plan can be agreed upon.
In a major setback, House Republicans blocked the Biden administration’s request for a budget anomaly that would have bumped the SSA’s funding from $14.2 billion to $15.4 billion for the 2024 fiscal year. With a crucial December 20 deadline looming for another stopgap funding bill, we’re all left wondering if the agency’s funding will finally get the green light to last through March 2025.
Without this funding boost, the SSA’s ability to provide timely services could take a serious hit.
Right now, the SSA is already grappling with record-low staff levels while serving a skyrocketing number of beneficiaries. An agency spokesperson has stated that if they don’t receive increased funding for the entire fiscal year, employees might face up to 10 furlough days. This could mean closing offices or cutting back on services that countless Americans depend on.
“Our field offices, card centers, and the National 800 Number would experience reduced service levels, leading to even longer wait times for the critical services that the public relies on,” the spokesperson lamented.
Another representative from the SSA noted that lacking the necessary funds forces the agency to “operate conservatively.”
“We’ve been forced to keep hiring limited to only the most critical positions and can’t invest in new tech improvements,” noted Hinkle, a representative of the SSA. “We’ve also slashed overtime to almost nothing, which means we’re unable to provide extra help for the customers waiting in our lobbies or tackle the workloads piling up during regular hours.”
Thanks to former Commissioner Martin O’Malley’s leadership, the SSA had made strides in enhancing customer service, cutting down wait times on their customer service line from a whopping 42 minutes to just 16 minutes between November 2023 and November 2024.
“We’re putting in place new technologies and practices to further shorten wait times and elevate the customer experience,” the SSA declared in a November blog post. “Our goal by the end of fiscal year 2025 is to answer calls on our 800 number in an average of just 12 minutes.”
However, all this progress could be jeopardized if a funding solution isn’t secured. By the end of fiscal year 2024, the SSA anticipates serving around 74 million beneficiaries—over 7 million more than in 2015—with about 6,000 fewer staff members.
This will undoubtedly create a ripple effect impacting millions of beneficiaries. “Losing over 2,000 SSA employees will make it increasingly difficult for people to receive assistance, whether they’re filing a claim, resolving an issue, or just seeking guidance,” said Antwyne DeLonde, founder of VisionX Finance and a former financial advisor.
“Long wait times and backlogs can transform a simple process into a nerve-wracking nightmare, especially for those already feeling the financial or emotional strain.”
