Martin O’Malley, Former Commissioner, Social Security Administration:
Since December, many eligible employees have begun retiring from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This comes at a time when the agency is already facing a serious staffing shortage, with numbers the lowest they’ve been in 50 years. Meanwhile, more Baby Boomers are reaching out for their services each day, creating a growing demand.
As a result, people can expect longer wait times on the phone. Previously, we managed to reduce the average wait time to about 12.5 minutes. Now, it’s shot up to over 30 minutes. That’s a significant delay for those seeking help.
Sadly, this situation means that more individuals may face long waits for disability support. The process for getting initial determinations was improving, but things are now slipping back. When people do retire, it will take longer to settle their claims and start receiving payments.
The ongoing staffing crisis at the SSA could have serious effects for the 72 million citizens who rely on Social Security. The agency has never had to manage such high demand with so few staff members. If this trend continues, we could see over 7,000 workers leave the agency, worsening the situation further.
