Political leaders, including both of New York’s U-S Senators and Governor Kathy Hochul say plans by the Trump administration to close Social Security Administration offices, cut thousands of jobs, and force recipients to apply for benefits in person, will hurt New York residents, particularly seniors.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says 4-million New Yorkers depend on Social Security. She was joined last week by Governor Hochul and Rebecca Preve, the Executive Director of the Association on Aging in New York, who said that Social Security is the only source of income for about 40% of recipients, many of whom are already facing hours-long call wait times and lengthy drives to the nearest SSA office. Governor Hochul says the closure of a Social Security Office in White Plains will place a burden on seniors.
Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek said the new policies will cut down on waste and fraud and add up to a savings of $7-billion-dollars over the next decade. But New York Senator Chuck Schumer says seniors without access to the internet and those who live in rural areas and would have to travel long distances to get to the nearest Social Security Office, will be most at risk.