Social Security already being cut; Seattle residents denied access

[eridani]

http://www.thestand.org/2013/07/social-security-already-being-cut-as-seattle-residents-denied-access/

Because of the continuing trend of downsizing government at the expense of those who need help the most, many of our grandmothers, grandfathers, aunties, uncles, sons, daughters, grandchildren, families and communities are being shortchanged of their fair share of Social Security benefits. That’s what I conclude when I look at a report of the effects of the consolidation of Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices into the newly formed Seattle Metropolitan Office in the Jackson Federal Building (JFB) last year.

The report, based on Social Security visitor intake data, was analyzed by a coalition of concerned community and labor organizations, including leaders from Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), OCA-Greater Seattle, InterIm Community Development Association and Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA). The report paints a picture of barriers that discourage people from services to which they are entitled. Yes, entitled to, because they or someone in their family paid for it. Consolidation of Social Security offices happened because the government had to downsize and save money. Serve less people, save money, too. How bizarre is that? (And how different is this from making people wait six hours to vote?). Social Security cuts in order to save money makes it difficult for people to get what’s really theirs. Any other situation like that would be called theft.

As you might expect, this is what we got from the the Social Security data:

The number of visitations to the newly consolidated Seattle Metropolitan Social Security office dropped dramatically by 24 percent over all. There were 1,373 average weekly visitations at the Chinatown-International District (CID) and Belltown SSA field offices before the move. After the move to the Metropolitan Seattle office in the JFB, there were 1,038 average weekly visitations — or 335 less each week — a 24 percent decrease. Projected over a year, that’s 17,420 less visits per year.

[blkmusclmachine]

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