Finance
New Social Security Head Looks To Make Major Changes
Clear Facts:
- Martin O’Malley identified a “customer service crisis” at the Social Security Administration during his Senate confirmation hearing.
- The SSA was in the process of recuperating $20 billion in misdirected payments, creating anxiety among retirees.
- O’Malley pledged to improve services for the nearly 70 million Americans who rely on SSA benefits.
The incoming chief of the Social Security Administration, Martin O’Malley, pulled no punches in declaring a “customer service crisis” at the SSA during his confirmation hearing, spotlighting the agency’s struggle to manage benefits for a burgeoning number of Americans.
O’Malley, stepping up to the plate after President Biden’s nomination, intends to inherit the mantle from interim Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi.
Under Kijakazi’s watch, the SSA, responsible for distributing $1.4 trillion in benefits in 2023 alone, has been embroiled in controversy over misdirected payments, adding to the woes of anxious retirees.
With $21.6 billion in overpayments still on the table, despite clawing back $4.7 billion, the agency is under significant pressure.
O’Malley confirmed this financial muddle amounts to just 0.5 percent of total SSA payouts, yet the backlash from affected beneficiaries is palpable.
The nominee reminisced about the SSA’s legacy since the 1930s, emphasizing its pivotal role in sustaining retirees, disabled individuals, and survivors of deceased workers.
O’Malley described Social Security as a cornerstone of “social and economic justice” in America, essential to preventing poverty for millions.
Despite this, O’Malley voiced his concern over the agency’s dwindling capacity to serve adequately, stressing the untenable waits for disability benefits and the unacceptable two-year appeals process.
“This is not the greatness of America. This is not acceptable,” he asserted.
He pledged improvements, including face-to-face service options, to uphold the dignity of Americans relying on Social Security.
“If you’re a person already living with a severe disability, you shouldn’t have to be dragged through two years of so-called due process in order to receive the benefits for which you’ve already spent a lifetime working. We can and we must do better,” O’Malley urged the Senators.
The commitment to service enhancement underlines his readiness to revitalize an agency critical to the livelihood of nearly 70 million Americans.
We want to know what you think! Share your thoughts in the comments below.
barshembar
November 6, 2023 at 1:16 pm
My closing pay test changed into $8750 simply running 12 hours for each week. My neighbour have discovered the estimation of $15k for a long term and he or she works round 20 hours for seven days. I cannot agree with how direct it changed into as soon as I tried
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EUGENE ORMOND
November 8, 2023 at 7:02 am
Total bullshit. There are too many people on social disability that don’t need to be on it. A lot of these people make more money than people that worked there whole life to get S.S.
Horstkamp
November 8, 2023 at 7:13 am
I Agree. There are Too Many Unscrupulous “doctors” Taking Advantage of the SSA System, Including False diagnosis of Disability Claims.a
Horstkamp
November 8, 2023 at 7:04 am
I Wouldn’t Trust o’malley to Fix Anything. When in Maryland, his ONLY Plan Was to ADD New Taxes.
Colleen
November 19, 2023 at 10:48 am
OMG, I live in Baltimore, MD and you are so right. He was better at playing Irish music in bars than as governor. Remember he traveled to Ireland to “kiss the blarney store” pretty regularly.
Andrew Worley
November 8, 2023 at 7:58 am
The SS computer system is easily hacked. My May 2023 check was stolen by someone who got in and changed all of my information. I had to cancel my online account at the suggestion of my local SS office. Still haven’t recieved my check for May. Haven’t had much success with the Philadelphia office which said they are still investigating. If I owed the money, the investigation would be completed and the money recouped.
James Turner
November 8, 2023 at 8:42 am
Biden’s nominees can’t count any better than he can.
Gidge
November 8, 2023 at 10:04 am
The SS Admin. computer system is outdated. It is not up to date they even admit that they carry dead people on there rolls. So when COLA increases come out dead people get checks. Theya are all over a yr. behind in posting your tearly earnings. Gecause of that problem I had someone work using my SS no. and because of that this person messed my state benefits up because she made more than what my state allowed me to have to be elegible for state benefits. When you are on Low income SS you don’t need something like this to mess things up for you.
RC
November 8, 2023 at 10:32 am
I’m now 98 and obviously collecting Social Security in addition to my pension from Teamsters Union. Actually I’ve been living fairly comfortably so far and hopefully that will continue. The ones I really feel for are those trying to survive on nothing but a Social Security check each month. They really need a bit more money. I don’t feel I’d need an increase since I’m getting by OK, but those I just mentioned need more in order to survive.
J
November 16, 2023 at 7:01 pm
You are correct. My mother lived on $600 a month. Half of that went to insurances and sometimes the insurance guy would pay for her and she would pay a little bit each month. That is not living. Then when she sold her home, her lawyer had put it in the four kids names. Well she asked for $5000 back from each of them. Two of my sisters never gave her anything. She redid her will and cut them off of anything and didn’t want to ever speak to them. She also instructed me to not notify them when she died. She was so angry with them because they should have given all the money to her, but they didn’t.
Gregory Coccia
November 8, 2023 at 11:39 am
Too many chiefs, NOT ENOUGH INDIANS!!! Need to REBUILD from the TOP DOWN!!!
Mitch
November 8, 2023 at 10:50 pm
Managing such a whale of a system has got to be challenging, to say the least. But these days challenges abound for everyone I know or read about and human beings in any position just gotta keep working at improving whatever sits on their plate.
Camille Gilliam
November 10, 2023 at 9:06 pm
I think they had better figure out who made the mistakes, because this has to be fixed NOW. How do we know that they didn’t steal the money for themselves.swe have paid for it our whole lives. The first cuts that have to be made isd salaries for everyoned that works there. If you can’t find where the money went and get it back, the office needs to be moved to a Republican area where the people will be honest.How often has the government ever done audits to make sure things balance? I know this that Congress should NEVER be able to use SS money again. If they ever try to their retirement should be put into SS.
Dave
November 12, 2023 at 6:49 am
O’Malley was one of the worst Governors Maryland ever had.
He couldn’t run a lemonade stand.
Past time to remove all these Commie-Democrats from positions in federal government.
Wayne Ricarte
November 12, 2023 at 9:03 pm
It is amazing how quickly illegal immigrants can access the system and acquire benefits faster, and 2 a greater financial benefit than the American taxpayer citizens. We have been robbed, by force, by the SSA our whole life 2 what avail?
2B disrespected and swindled by the very SSA system that refuses 2 put tax paying Americans first.