In a quiet but consequential shift, the machinery that carries money to some of the country's most vulnerable people is being reshaped, and researchers from three public universities are asking who bears the weight of that change. Their forthcoming report examines supplemental security income, a lifeline for people with little income or who cannot work, and argues that a thinner staff and a new phone system are making it harder to fix payment errors. The concern is not that the agency has stopped functioning, since its backlog of disability claims has improved, but that the gains are uneven an
Researchers Say Social Security Changes Are Hurting the Nation's Most Vulnerable Recipients
Millions of low-income and disabled SSI recipients may face delayed or unresolved payment problems, according to advocates.
Improved on backlogs, but worse for those who need in-depth attention
Mark
So what is this report actually claiming?
Mimi
That staffing cuts and updated phone systems at the Social Security Administration are making it harder for supplemental security income recipients to fix payment problems, and that the hardest hit are the most vulnerable.
Mark
Who are those recipients?
Mimi
Of roughly 5 million people a year, about 900,000 are intellectually disabled, 800,000 are autistic or have other developmental disorders, and 350,000 have a schizophrenia diagnosis.
Mark
And the agency isn't failing at everything?
Mimi
No. The advocates acknowledge it has gotten better over the past year at clearing the disability claims backlog. Their point is that the gains don't reach people without good internet access or with complex cases.
Luke
Before we go further, the report isn't out yet. We're hearing its conclusions secondhand, from advocates.
Mark
So the claim rests on their account for now?
Luke
Yes. The population figures are estimates, and the link between the staffing and phone changes and worse outcomes is the researchers' assertion until we see their data.
Mimi
That's fair. What we can say is what they argue, and that the full report arrives next month.
Luke
And we don't yet know how many people have actually been affected, or how the agency will respond.
El Pulso
- A reduced SSA workforce and newly installed phone systems are colliding with millions of recipients who depend on steady monthly payments.
- Roughly 900,000 intellectually disabled and 800,000 autistic or developmentally disabled recipients may find routine phone trees and online portals far harder to navigate than the average caller.
- Advocates concede the agency has trimmed its disability claims backlog, but argue the improvement leaves complex cases and offline recipients stranded.
- The full report from researchers at three universities is due next month, and its findings on whether backlog progress holds for the most vulnerable remain unresolved.
In a quiet but consequential shift, the machinery that carries money to some of the country's most vulnerable people is being reshaped, and researchers from three public universities are asking who bears the weight of that change. Their forthcoming report examines supplemental security income, a lifeline for people with little income or who cannot work, and argues that a thinner staff and a new phone system are making it harder to fix payment errors. The concern is not that the agency has stopped functioning, since its backlog of disability claims has improved, but that the gains are uneven and fall away for those who lack internet access or whose cases resist quick resolution. As the full report arrives next month, the question it will press is whether efficiency for many can coexist with dignity and reliability for the few who need the most care.
A report due next month, compiled by advocates at California State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the State University of New York, argues that recent changes at the Social Security Administration are falling hardest on the people least able to absorb them. Its focus is supplemental security income, the program that supports people with low incomes and those who cannot work. The researchers say a smaller agency workforce and updated phone systems have made it harder for recipients to resolve payment problems, and that the changes, made by the White House, weigh most heavily on people already among the most vulnerable.
The scale helps explain the concern. About 5 million people receive these benefits, and an estimated 900,000 of them are intellectually disabled while another 800,000 are autistic or have other developmental disorders. For many in these groups, untangling a missed or incorrect payment through a phone menu or online is no small task.
The advocates do not say the agency has failed across the board. They acknowledge that the SSA has made progress over the past year on its backlog of disability claims, but they argue the gains are uneven. Recipients without reliable internet access, and those whose cases need in-depth attention rather than a quick transaction, they say, have seen things get worse.
The full report has not yet been released, and its figures are estimates tied to the research rather than an official agency count. Its arrival next month will show how the authors document these effects, and whether the backlog progress holds for people without internet access or with cases that need more than a phone call.
A report due out next month, compiled by advocates at three public universities, argues that changes at the Social Security Administration are landing hardest on the people least able to absorb them. The researchers come from California State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the State University of New York.
The report focuses on supplemental security income, the program that supports people with low incomes and those who cannot work. According to the researchers, a reduced workforce at the agency and updated phone systems have made it increasingly difficult for recipients to resolve problems with their payments. The changes were made by the White House, and the researchers say they are disproportionately affecting people who were already among the most vulnerable in the country.
The numbers help explain why. About 5 million people receive these benefits each year. Of those, an estimated 900,000 are intellectually disabled. Another 800,000 are autistic or have other developmental disorders. A further 350,000 have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. For many people in these groups, sorting out a missed or incorrect payment by navigating a phone system, or by going online, is not a small task.
The advocates do not claim the agency has failed across the board. They concede that the SSA has improved over the past year in working through its backlog of disability claims. Their argument is that the improvement is uneven. The situation, they say, has nevertheless worsened for recipients who struggle with internet access, and for those whose cases need in-depth attention rather than a quick transaction.
That distinction matters because the people described in the report are often those whose problems are least suited to automated or remote handling. A reduced staff and a reworked phone system may speed up routine cases while leaving complicated ones waiting, according to the researchers' account.
The full report has not yet been released, and the figures cited here are estimates attached to the research rather than a published agency tally. The report's arrival next month will show how the authors document the effects, and whether the progress on disability backlogs holds for recipients without reliable internet access or with cases that need more than a phone call.
Citas Notables
The SSA has improved on its disability claims backlog, but the situation has worsened for recipients who struggle with internet access or need in-depth attention.— Advocates behind the report (paraphrased)
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