Letter from Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici, Hoyle, Salinas, Bynum, Dexter cites disastrous decisions in Social Security field offices in Warrenton, La Grande and The Dalles
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today led his Democratic colleagues in the Oregon delegation – Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Janelle Bynum (OR-05) and Maxine Dexter (OR-03) – in urging the Social Security Administration to reverse its severe layoffs and threats of worse to come for services to the state’s seniors and people with disabilities.
In their letter to the Social Security Administration’s Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek, the Oregon lawmakers cited agency data showing staff in the Warrenton and La Grande field offices declined by at least 25 percent as a result of agency decisions to reduce its workforce. They also noted the field office in The Dalles has experienced a substantial drop in workers.
“These three rural field offices already faced staffing shortages before these cuts, with just twenty combined employees serving more than 232,000 Oregonians in ten counties and parts of Washington and Idaho,” the lawmakers wrote, noting how nearly every American interacts with the agency at pivotal moments in their lives.
“Access to in-person services is especially important for each of those moments, especially for people who have difficulty speaking by phone, who lack reliable internet access, and who have difficulty understanding program rules,” they wrote. “Any disruption in service, especially interruption of benefit payments, can be financially devastating for families. For many of these Oregonians, field offices are often their only channel of service. These field offices are located in predominantly rural areas, with the nearest field office more than 50 miles away from many users.”
“Additionally, more than 400,000 Oregonians lack internet access at home because the state’s size and rugged terrain make it costly and difficult to build broadband infrastructure,” the lawmakers continued. “Without in-person services, if those Oregonians have difficulty using a phone they are 100 percent cut off from their benefits.”
Nearly 1 million Oregonians collect Social Security benefits, and the lawmakers’ letter noted that the agency’s reckless actions have already inflicted a devastating toll on those Oregon beneficiaries and tens of millions more across America.
“Simply put, your decisions jeopardize Oregonians’ access to their Social Security benefits without providing any substantive plans to provide quality service to these communities,” they wrote. “We urge you to immediately reverse these changes and work to rebuild SSA’s workforce so it can serve the millions of Oregonians and Americans who depend on Social Security.”
A copy of the entire letter is here.
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