# Social Security watch thread -- from rumor to fact to speculation and back again **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [March 23, 2025, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976 "2025-03-23T13:20:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/41 "2025-03-24T11:19:38Z")
Or go to [login.gov](http://login.gov) and follow the instructions. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/42 "2025-03-24T11:57:04Z")
Believe me - I am the LAST person to speak to if you wish someone to claim the ease and consistency of accessing SSA’s various on-line resources! 😃 But I don’t think any part of that is due to the current admin. (If we are going to bar discussions of past SSA issues, perhaps sign in issues might qualify.) Just because you were able to get in seamlessly yesterday is no reason to assume you would be able to do so tomorrow. But I - pretty much a luddite - have always been able to figure it out so far. And I’ve seen nothing to suggest that one oughtn’t be able to call the phone # to get sign on assistance. **Cervaise** - your situation sound to me as - uh - kinda out of the ordinary WRT your average applicant. IME, it is not unusual for folk whose situations are unusual to experience greater hiccups. I’m sure it sucks if you are the unusual case. But, maybe a little more inconvenience ought to be an expected cost of your past choices. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/43 "2025-03-24T12:30:55Z")
Even though I’m far from retirement age, I’ve been following this issue with much anxiety. Mom draws Social Security, and even though I’ve made sure her account has transitioned over from the old login system, and I’m in a position that I can take off work and help her in the rare event she needs to transact business in person, I’m furious at the thought of these money-grubbing billionaires potentially cutting off money that Dad worked hard to earn. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/44 "2025-03-24T12:38:10Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > But, maybe a little more inconvenience ought to be an expected cost of your past choices. It’s only inconvenient now because the Trumpers are being stupid, belligerent assholes. There’s no _good_ reason for the added headaches. Everything was perfectly fine until a couple of weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/45 "2025-03-24T12:56:35Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand. Size of a request header field exceeds server limit It takes some special idiocy to generate that error - not on the user side, they typically have no idea what a header is. But on the web developer… I mean, headers are used for terse informational data. Max size is a mere 60 bytes, which is less than this sentence. That sentence is 61 bytes - and I had to edit the above sentence to get as little as that. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/46 "2025-03-24T12:59:53Z")
Ok, now he’s **MAD!** > **[Social Security: A Time for Outrage](https://open.substack.com/pub/paulkrugman/p/social-security-a-time-for-outrage?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=4y8eu)** > > Trump’s policies attack his own base — but who will tell them? > … > > Reliance on Social Security isn’t evenly distributed across the population; it’s strongly correlated with socioeconomic status. In particular, it very much depends on education, with less-educated Americans much more reliant on the program than those with more education: > [graph] > But here’s the thing — less educated voters strongly favored Trump in November: > [graph] > And by putting him over the top they set the stage for demolition of a government program that is the only thing standing between them and dire poverty in their later years. > > … > What all this says is that the priority for Democrats isn’t to pursue whatever you think is a better policy mix. It is to get voters to notice. > > … > And the attack on Social Security is something that should both inspire outrage and offer an opportunity to connect with working-class Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/47 "2025-03-24T13:00:36Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Everything was perfectly fine until a couple of weeks ago. I’ll step out. I have no idea what the current admin has/hasn’t done WRT signing in to one’s SSA acct. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/48 "2025-03-24T13:09:36Z")
I think [login.gov](http://login.gov) is easier. My husband just did it, and no scans or photos were needed. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/49 "2025-03-24T13:28:50Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I think [login.gov](http://login.gov) is easier. I believe you are correct. And I will retract my earlier post in which I said I helped an elderly woman set up an ID ME account. It was, in fact, a login gov account, and it required nothing special. @Broomstick, I would recommend, as does @doreen, login gov. I apologize for my earlier error. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/50 "2025-03-24T13:36:14Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > What all this says is that the priority for Democrats isn’t to pursue whatever you think is a better policy mix. **It is to get voters to notice.** My bold. This belongs in another thread, but, dammit, this is spot on! ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/51 "2025-03-24T13:45:41Z")
I hope to god they don’t close my local small Social Security office. They have good people and the crowds aren’t negligible. Whenever I’ve had a Social Security question, it’s easy to go there without an appointment (as long as you go when they first open) and get your issue settled right away. It takes less time than holding on the phone forever. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/52 "2025-03-24T13:56:48Z")
There should be a U.S. citizens section, if not at your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate, then at one in a neighboring country. They normally deal with Social Security issues. My MIL had to call one to straighten out her SS surviving spouse benefits when my FIL died. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/53 "2025-03-24T13:57:14Z")
> [@teelabrown](#): > > Whenever I’ve had a Social Security question, it’s easy to go there without an appointment (as long as you go when they first open) Not sure when you last visited, but before the next, please check to ensure that they still allow walk-ins. Not all do. Making an appt is no big deal at all. But it might be inconvenient to travel to the office and be turned away. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/54 "2025-03-24T14:27:11Z")
[Seniors won’t complain if they miss a Social Security check, Lutnick says](https://www.axios.com/2025/03/21/social-security-lutnick-doge-checks) > Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick suggested this week that only “fraudsters” would complain about missing a monthly [Social Security](https://www.axios.com/2025/03/20/doge-social-security-deposit-fraud) check, and that most people wouldn’t mind if the government simply skipped a payment. … > > “Let’s say Social Security didn’t send out their checks this month. My mother-in-law, who’s 94, she wouldn’t call and complain,” Lutnick — a billionaire former Wall Street CEO — [told](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=182ckTL2KBA) the billionaire “All In” podcast host Chamath Palihapitiya. “She just wouldn’t. She’d think something got messed up, and she’ll get it next month. A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining,” ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/55 "2025-03-24T14:35:15Z")
New on the Social Security website ([ssa.gov](http://ssa.gov)) **TODAY** (March 24). Accessible _before_ login. > **[Online Services | SSA](https://www.ssa.gov/onlineservices/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhYS_BhD2ARIsAJTMMQb7VmGpuSHd79Gh0JK00guusvaBIApHqlp-AiyJWGystoyQts6c20MaAixSEALw_wcB)** > > Provides information and links to Social Security's online services. **“What to Know about Proving Your Identity”** Questions with drop-down answers. One of them: > [Does everyone need to prove their identity with Social Security?](https://www.ssa.gov/news/identity-proofing.html?tl=2#!) > > No. There is no need to contact Social Security to prove identity if not applying for cash benefits and if not changing direct deposit information. People will continue to receive their benefits and on schedule to the bank account information in Social Security’s records without needing to prove identity. > [Are there exceptions to proving my identity in person?](https://www.ssa.gov/news/identity-proofing.html?tl=4%2C6%2C9%2C11%2C14#!) > > Yes. You can create a personal [_my_ Social Security](https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/) account to prove your identity one time and continue to use Social Security’s online services without proving your identity in person. Organizations filing claims under existing Memorandums of Understanding with Social Security may continue to use these methods. Lots of Q&A. Worth a read. Multiple upon multiple assurances that you will continue to receive your benefits yaddayaddayadda. I hope so. 🤔 * * * * * * I just signed in as I always have with my SS username and password. Got a text with a code as always. After it logged me in, I was given the option to create a _[login.gov](http://login.gov)_ or to decline. I declined and accessed everything as always. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/56 "2025-03-24T15:14:45Z")
SSA related news - not sure if this is going to apply to all of SSA, but at least one component - Office of Hearings Operations - is being reduced from 10 to 4 regions. When 2-3 regional offices are combined into 1, I presume a smaller staff will be doing the same amount of work. Each individual can decide whether the regional offices were previously grossly overstaffed, and whether they will be better served by fewer employees working at a greater distance from them. My understanding is that some individual Hearing Offices are also going to be closed/consolidated. Less of an issue than before, now that most hearings are conducted via phone rather than in person. I’ve said before, maybe Elon ought to work to have all hearings held in person again. You know, gotta confirm that these people actually exist - efficiency and convenience be damned! 😉 Brings up a classic centralization/decentralization argument. To what extent can resources/positions be shared. I could easily imagine an argument being made in support of some consolidation. But I have NO REASON to believe that these moves are being made for any purposes of improving services, or meaningfully reducing costs. Just slash and burn - expect fewer staff to do more work under less pleasant conditions. And hope the peasants don’t notice/complain too much. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/57 "2025-03-24T15:51:26Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > This belongs in another thread, but, dammit, this is spot on! Well, it **is** my thread, so wiggle room? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/58 "2025-03-24T15:57:52Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > SSA related news - not sure if this is going to apply to all of SSA, but at least one component - Office of Hearings Operations - is being reduced from 10 to 4 regions. Just checked - the consolidation from 10 to 4 for all of SSA was announced last month. I believe what was just announced was the exact configuration of the remaining offices. A whole lotta staff leaving. Good luck getting a quicker answer to your phone call! But just think of all that fraud that will be eliminated! 🙄 I also skimmed through the 134 page DCt Md. decision issuing a TRO against DOGE having free access to SSA databases. (Sorry, I lack a ready link.) But it is just an exceedingly straightforward, common sense rejection of the admin’s baseless BS. Pleasant to read (tho the need for such a decision remains distressing.) ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/59 "2025-03-24T16:56:00Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Which might be true, but there are many different things that could be done. The most obvious of which is to raise the cap on the amount it’s deducted from. Which the current batch are not remotely likely to do, of course. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > If they don’t care about future elections though as they don’t plan to allow free and honest ones, then they don’t need to care about the Fox News watchers as much I guess. I’m afraid that’s what’s going on. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Second - so far everything I see suggests little other than “inconvenience” for some folk. Some folk in the boonies who - for whatever reason are unable to sign up on-line - will have to go in to the office instead of calling on the phone. And, of course, it is stupid to make those changes at a time that walk-ins have been eliminated and staff and field offices are being eliminated. A pretty significant inconvenience, but not insurmountable. “Some folk in the boonies” may have to drive several hours one way to get to an office; and may not be physically capable of that, or have the necessary gas money and functioning car to get there. For that matter, some people who live in the same city as a still-functioning office may not be able to take off from work to spend the day getting to and waiting at that office. There are significant numbers of people getting some form of Social Security who are also working. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Some old fart complains about hanging on the phone for 3 hrs? So what? Leave the phone on hold next to you while you are reading a book. The assumption that because people are old and/or reliant on Social Security they have absolutely nothing they need to do in their lives other than sit there and twiddle their thumbs is absolute bullshit. > [@Broomstick](#): > > I have _never_ been able to get in, ever. So far I’ve been able to do everything I need to do over the phone or in person I went through the process once some time ago, was given what was supposed to be the info to get me in – and it didn’t work. I’m also on an old computer that can’t update properly and I can’t afford to replace it; so I really don’t like to put any private info into it. (Yes, I know, Musk stole it all already. But still.) So far I’ve been able to manage by mail or phone. If I have to show up in person, the office that’s been handling my SSI is an hour’s roundtrip to a place I don’t usually go to, and appointments might turn out to hit just when I should have been planting or weeding something ahead of the rain; but I can pull that off if I have to – but will that office stay open? They were open last week, but who knows? ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976/60 "2025-03-24T17:19:49Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Making an appt is no big deal at all. But it might be inconvenient to travel to the office and be turned away. I’ve tried in the past to make an appointment at this or any Social Security office. Reaching them by phone was impossible, and the online appointment process was glitchy and bug-ridden to the point where I gave up. When I make the ten minute drive there, all I have to do is take a number as soon as the place opens, and I’m seen within about ten minutes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-watch-thread-from-rumor-to-fact-to-speculation-and-back-again/1015976.md?page=4)