AARP members from Long Island gathered on Thursday, April 10 to call for further efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of the current Social Security Administration after federal policy changes that would have gone into effect on April 14 were called off.
“We cannot ignore dignity as they age,” AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel said during the event.
AARP members and volunteers who attended the event at the Totus Business Center in Melville expressed opposition to Trump administration policies that they said would create significant disruptions and longer wait times for customer service needs.
Two AARP members spoke at Thursday’s event about their own personal struggles with the SSA.
Francine Holland of Copiague said that she is the primary caretaker of her disabled mother.
“My mother is disabled. She cannot leave her home. Could you imagine if she had to show up in person?” she asked.
Marie Fitzgerald of Smithtown said she called the SSA to ask questions about her newborn grandson. She said she waited on the phone for over two hours before losing patience. Fitzgerald said a government office would be a difficult setting for a newborn child to be in.
The SSA announced on March 26 that it would be changing its policy effective April 14 to require in-person identity proofing for people unable to use their personal “my Social Security” account for certain services, which would not include Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare or Supplemental Security Income.
“We have listened to our customers, Congress, advocates, and others, and we are updating our policy to provide better customer service to the country’s most vulnerable populations,” Acting Commissioner of Social Security Lee Dudek said in a statement on the SSA’s website on March 26.
But as AARP members pointed out at Thursday’s event, not everyone has their own account or is physically able to go to an in-person office.
The SSA has since changed course, saying on Wednesday, April 9, that it will allow all claim types to be completed over the phone. AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Nancy Leamond called it a big win for older Americans in a statement.
Finkel said that members and volunteers sent two million letters and messages to the Social Security Administration about its policy changes.
Finkel said AARP serves more than 2.2 million residents in the state and that more than 3.7 million residents within the state receive Social Security benefits. She said that 37% of those residents rely on Social Security benefits for half or more of their income in retirement.
“Can you even imagine how frightening that must be to a person trying to get the information, knowing this is the difference between them being able to pay their rent, being able to put food on the table, being able to pay for their drugs,” Finkel said.
Long Island is home to nearly half a million AARP members and more than 500 volunteers, according to Finkel.
Finkel also said that AARP has been advocating for better customer service for a decade, although the organization had never previously dealt with possible cutbacks before.
