Since the Trump administration pledges to cut off fraud and waste in the social security system, Theresa Casey, Trump’s voter, says she discovers what this means to the beneficiaries like her.
The former store writer is now suffering from a disability, run by the Social Security Administration (SSA). But a few months ago, the checks stopped coming.
“Someone made a big mistake,” she says.
Why did we write this
Many Americans say that the government needs to become more efficient. Will feelings turn when simplification affects the programs they depend on? Administrative changes in social security raises this question.
So when she stopped at the low SSA building on the outskirts of Columbus, Georgia, last week to clarify this, her life balance seemed to stake. Mrs. Casey is one of an increasing number that was caught in the middle of America’s national debate about the current federal efforts to simplify the government – and whether the gains in efficiency may come at a cost to people like Mrs. Casey who rely on federal services.
“This is not about politics now,” says Ms. Casey, who voted for Mr. Trump last November. “This is my life.”
After September, the SSA rental contract, one of the 26 planned social security office closed throughout the United States this year, will be terminated. This coincides with new efforts to combat fraud in the agency, which will force people to come personally or use an online gate to check their identity, instead of being able to communicate.
Walking at the Columbus office was banned early on January 1, before Mr. Trump took office. But the new discounts are expected to add pressure on an agency that is already struggling in order to maintain its mission of dealing with monthly payments to 74 million Americans and issuing social security numbers to 10,000 New American citizens He was born every day.
Discounts may affect people like Mrs. Casey in particular. While retirement advantages of social security are largely automated, the recipient of disability should repeat them to provide benefits. Last week, Trade Minister Howard Lootnick suggested this Only “fraudsters” will complain About the last check.
“If you think she is cheating, then moved to some time in her home,” says James Nox, his ex -wife, to Mrs. Casey, who took out his work period in a art supply factory to lead his ex -wife to the office. He adds that severe health challenges have left them unable to drive or work.
Mrs. Casey says she had never voted until Donald Trump nominated for a position. I voted in his favor three times. Now, she says, loyalty is tested by feeling that her life is related to management actions.
Attempt to tame the national religion
The Trump administration’s efforts to reduce social security management and activities are part of a wider government reconstruction, with one goal that is to tame the increasing national debts, currently in More than 36 trillion dollars. The idea of reducing government waste is generally supported by Americans, Those whose favorable views From the federal government and its workers has declined in recent years.
Regardless of the authenticity of the Trump administration’s allegations, changes in how social security recipients can challenge those opinions about what the government must do.
“I am afraid that many people are about to know all the ways they took the federal government,” says Jacob Malcolm, who resigned from his position in Washington as the Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for Politics and Environmental Administration in protest against the discounts made by the Ministry of the New Government (Dog). “This includes anyone who relies on social security.”
The cancellation of a 1600 square feet lease here in Columbus-Natan Fort Bening, the Blues singer is not the Riny and the inventor of Coca-Cola-is just one part of the wider federal closure and workers’ discounts across the country.
Close doors and increase criticism of civil employees
While both presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton took over the government’s waste, the Americans have increased civil service employees. In 2018, sixty percent of Americans had a “great amount” or “a good amount” of confidence in professional civil service staff. Near the end of the epidemic, an opinion poll showed 2022 that those who feel confident were Decline To 52 %, according to the Pew Research Center.
Mitchell Skatchi suggests from the Legal Pacific Governorate Foundation in A modern online post It is seen that low -level bureaucrats are now seen as a “fourth non -constitutional branch of the government” assigned to their internal provisions for the Americans hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity every year.
“This administration is obligated to cut off waste, fraud and abuse,” said White House press secretary Caroline Levitte in a recent briefing. (Critics say that the Trump administration is exaggerating 1 % of the payments))
The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that the legal beneficiaries of social security services and benefits have no concern. However, as Ms. Casey is witnessing, the Stark cuts – including a proposed part of 10 % of the SSA workforce – has a different feeling from cutting funding into agencies such as the American Peace Institute.
According to the research conducted by the National Institute of Retirement Security, approximately 9 out of every 10 Americans says this social security.It should remain a priorityP “to the nation regardless of the budget deficit.
When the request exceeds the offer
But the agency has already lost some of its ability to do work. Between 2010 and 2023, 17 % of the customer service budget lost, while the number of beneficiaries increased by 22 %, according to Pamela Hurd, professor of social policy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbour.
Professor Hurd says: “Social security is a clear promise to the Americans that if they pay the system, they will get benefits from this system,” says Professor Hurd. “At this pace, I don’t know how they can fulfill this promise.”
Patrick Johnson/Christian science observer
She says Dog’s rapid effort most likely contributes to problems such as the type that Mrs. Casey has reported.
“Yes, we need improvement, change and development, but this does not change the basic truth of a government that works if we do not have a civil service,” says Dr. Malcolm, a former internal official. “But if what you want is to speed up the US government’s decline, this is a great way to do this.”
Returning to Columbus, retired businessman Jerry Don Manning arrived at the SSA office in a truck with a “Tex Man” license plate.
Mr. Manning says he is “100 % supportive” of President Trump’s efforts to clarify fraud and reduce debt. He believes that “they are smart enough to make the correct discounts” of federal powers that have become incompetent and ineffective, especially after the epidemic.
At the same time, the older Americans and the disabled people who do not have cars and do not feel comfortable using the Internet in some dramatic changes.
“I think we will feel a little pain now, but a lot of gains on the road,” he says.
Could social security discounts become a greater problem if applying for benefits?
The question and implicit risks are wondering.
“In my opinion, this is a possibility – but not a possibility.” He is ready to bear this danger.
