How the Pandemic Has Plagued Social Security

The economic effects of the pandemic have taken a toll on many government services, including Social Security. Commissioner of Social Security Andrew Saul recently contacted key members of Congress to inform them of the resources Social Security needs in order to recover from the pandemic and improve service. He says more money is needed to hire additional workers to better serve recipients today and to fund information technology to improve service for the future. Since the pandemic started Social Security offices have closed and the agency is relying more on virtual services. While acknowledging the proposed $14.2 billion budget for 2022 – a $1.3 billion increase over this year – Saul told lawmakers that even more money is needed to operate the agency.

Increasing Social Security’s operating budget so that it can better serve recipients sound promising. The Seniors Trust would like to see additional changes as well, starting with the enactment of the Social Security Expansion Act. This landmark piece of legislation will increase monthly benefits, establish a fair cost-of-living adjustment, and strengthen the long-term solvency of the Social Security program.