Social Security recipients could face 'a rapid increase of wait times' to receive benefits if Congress fails to increase funding for the program, according to the union representing its workers
Kent Nishimura /Los Angeles Times via Getty Image
- House Republicans are proposing funding cuts for the Social Security Administration.
- The American Federation of Government Employees warned of the consequences of doing so.
- The union said Social Security recipients could face longer wait times to receive benefits.
As Republicans start laying out their proposals for what spending to cut next year, Social Security Administration employees are warning that their budget could mean longer wait times and potentially dire circumstances for beneficiaries.
In a letter to the House Appropriations Committee, the American Federation of Government Employees — a union representing hundreds of thousands of government employees — said that the GOP's proposed funding levels would "devastate the agency's ability to serve the American public."
Republicans on the committee released their Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill last week, including a $183 million cut to the Social Security Administration.
The union warned that the already underfunded agency could see its standing issues, like long wait times for accessing benefits and long lines at its offices, only worsen. As of June 2023, the average wait time for callers to Social Security's customer service and information number was a little over 43 minutes, per the Social Security Administration's data.
And for some, the wait for benefits is more costly: A 2020 GAO report, which looked at fiscal years 2014 through 2018, found that around 48,000 Americans had to file for bankruptcy as they awaited a final decision on their disability appeals. Meanwhile, nearly 110,000 Americans died during the same period before they heard back on a final decision.
"More cuts to SSA will result in a rapid increase of wait times, force SSA offices to close in many communities, and reduce service hours to the public," Julie Tippens, the director of AFGE's legislative department, wrote in the letter.
Similarly to what the AFGE said, the Office of Management and Budget found in March that should SSA funding be cut, it could take months longer for benefits to reach Social Security recipients, and they could experience worse customer service, as well.
Social Security has remained a hot topic across party lines. Earlier this year, Congress was tasked with raising the debt ceiling to ensure the government would not run out of money to pay its bills and cover spending obligations that include major programs like Social Security and Medicare. Republicans refused to raise the debt ceiling without any spending cuts attached, but they ended up agreeing with Democrats that Social Security cuts would be off the table in those negotiations.
"Let's take those off the table," Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said in January, referring to Social Security and Medicare. "If you read our Commitment to America, all we talk about is strengthening Medicare and Social Security."
Aside from Social Security, lawmakers could be facing a budget showdown this fall over a number of contentious issues. For example, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee are proposing to cut funding for the Federal Student Aid office at a time when student-loan payments are resuming after an over three-year pause — and some Democratic lawmakers have already called on the top appropriations lawmakers to consider increasing funding for the agency.
And some Democrats also think Social Security should see a similar influx in spending. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, for instance, have repeatedly introduced legislation that would bolster Social Security checks by $2,400, which would be subsidized by upping taxes on the wealthy.
"Our job is to expand Social Security so that every senior in America can retire with the dignity that they deserve and every person with a disability can live with the security they need," Sanders said in a statement on that legislation.
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