So-Called “Department Of Government Efficiency” Listed 47 Social Security Administration Offices for Closure – Including 2 in New York
DOGE’s Attacks on the SSA Have Resulted in Skyrocketing Wait Times and Website Crashes
Trump Administration Official Claims That Only “Fraudsters” Would Complain About Missing Social Security Checks
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a press conference slamming the Trump administration’s plans to make it harder for seniors to access the Social Security benefits they have earned.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has already announced plans to cut 7,000 staff, despite the fact that SSA staffing is already at a 50-year low. Now, the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” plans to limit phone support for seniors, forcing them to file certain claims online – a challenge for many older adults – or visit a Social Security Administration office in person, even though appointments for these visits can only be made over the phone. DOGE is simultaneously planning to shutter Social Security Administration offices across the country, including two in New York. These changes will decimate the Social Security system and deny seniors their hard-earned benefits.
“President Trump and Elon Musk are playing games with your retirement,” said Senator Gillibrand. “They are cutting the phone services that seniors rely on to apply for benefits, firing staff, and closing down the field offices—including the White Plains and Poughkeepsie offices right here in New York–where seniors go for help. These changes mean that you may not get your checks in time to pay your bills and that there may not be anyone at your local Social Security office to turn to for help. This is a cut to benefits in everything but the name, and I will be doing everything in my power to stop it.”
Gillibrand was joined by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, State Senator Pat Fahy, Acting Director of the NYS Office for the Aging Greg Olsen, and Executive Director of the Association on Aging in New York Rebecca Preve.
“After a lifetime of paying into the system, Americans count on Social Security to be there when they need it,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “We won’t let the Trump administration—or an unelected billionaire—jeopardize access to a benefit New Yorkers have earned without a fight. I’m proud to stand side-by-side with Senator Gillibrand to stand up for our seniors and continue the fight to protect Social Security for generations to come.”
“DOGE’s plans to slash physical office capacity at SSA should be seen for what they are — part of a systematic effort to gut federal services and rob the American people so President Trump can provide more tax breaks for Elon Musk and his billionaire donors,” said Representative Paul Tonko. “These actions will lead to longer wait times over the phone and a reduced ability to accommodate in-person office visits, leaving millions of Americans unable to access the benefits they’ve earned. This attack on Social Security is just one more step in Trump and Musk’s cynical ploy to use the guise of ‘efficiency’ to dismantle the essential programs and services American families rely on.”
“Over four million New Yorkers rely on social security,” said State Senator Patricia Fahy. “This will put the lives of millions of aging and disabled Americans at risk, as well as their families. Many New Yorkers have worked hard and served their communities for decades, and are now living in constant fear of having their benefits cut by an unelected billionaire. As Chair of the Senate Disabilities Committee I will continue to work hard to ensure that disabled New Yorkers continue to have their needs met in order to live full and happy lives.”
“Cuts to Social Security threaten aging New Yorkers’ lives and livelihoods,” said New York Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero. “These are people who’ve spent their adult lives working and making our communities great places to live – they’ve planted roots, raised families, and shaped our neighborhoods. The Trump administration has taken a chainsaw to essential federal programs and departments, and we can’t stand back and let families and aging New Yorkers pay the price. I’ll never back down from fighting for New Yorkers and the benefits they deserve.”
“Our seniors deserve easy, reliable access to their Social Security benefits without any unnecessary hurdles,” said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy. “Forcing them to file claims online creates barriers for many who have limited internet access and digital literacy. We must protect phone and in-person services in order to ensure every senior gets the support they need.”
“Vulnerable New Yorkers and Americans are suffering from these callous and heartless choices,” said Albany County Legislature Chairwoman Joanne Cunningham. “There are immediate and dire consequences from these sorts of decisions made by those in power. Over and over again, we see that those who bear the heaviest burdens are the powerless. Plus, the pain is always felt across party lines. In Albany County, we will continue to ensure that services remain robust and available to all and that belief and hope don’t succumb to ideology and ignorance.”
“This is yet another short-sighted move by the Trump administration and DOGE that will be detrimental to the American people,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “Americans work hard as they pay into Social Security, and they should be able to rely on their money to help keep food on the table, a roof over their head, and the lights and heat on. Limiting access to the Social Security Administration will be disastrous to older Americans living on fixed-incomes and I thank Senator Gillibrand for calling on the federal government to reverse course before those catastrophic impacts take hold.”
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