“We are unable to do benefit verification letters. (Social Security recipients) would need that letter to keep their housing. If they’re in low-income housing and they don’t have access to the internet, they would have to come into the field office and request a letter. We can’t provide those. We can’t address overpayments at this time.” — Jessica LaPointe, Madison based Social Security field officer
MADISON, Wis. — Earlier this week, a new report came out detailing how Wisconsinites’ Social Security services are at risk because of the GOP led government shutdown. The report explains that the Trump and GOP’s funding cuts, and shutdown, have led to staffing shortages, unfulfilled paycheck for employees, and the stress and chaos it is causing for Social Security employees and recipients alike. It is also chaotic and confusing for senior citizens.
WPR: Social Security sees reduced services and staffing during government shutdown
By: Richelle Wilson | 10/13/25
Key details below:
- As the federal government shutdown continues, Social Security beneficiaries are experiencing longer-than-usual wait times to receive support. And some services have been halted altogether.
- While the agency continues to send out retirement and disability benefit payments, it has paused in-person support for things like benefit verification letters. This can create barriers for seniors and disabled beneficiaries who may struggle to access online portals or navigate the agency’s automated phone system, which has recently come under criticism after a new AI rollout.
- The shutdown, which started on Oct. 1, has left roughly 750,000 federal workers furloughed and without pay, which disrupts services and contributes to a mental health crisis among government workers, says one agency staffer in Wisconsin.
- “The stress is building. It has been building for a while now, as we are severely understaffed and struggle to meet the demands of the public as-is,” Jessica LaPointe, a Social Security field officer based in Madison, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.”
- LaPointe, who is also president of Council 220 for the American Federation of Government Employees, talked to host Kate Archer Kent about what she’s seeing on the ground as the shutdown continues.
- The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
- Kate Archer Kent: We’re now on day 13 of the shutdown. How has this affected your work at Social Security the past couple of weeks?
- Jessica LaPointe: It’s affecting workers personally right now during the shutdown, as we just received a partial paycheck on Friday and are worried we’re going to get no money coming in when our paycheck is due again in two weeks. So on a personal level, we’re feeling stressed out about that.
- And then there’s just the added stress of the chaos and confusion that the public feels. There are certain services that are limited, and the agency continues to modify their plan as we go along. So we’re having to turn people away for certain services, and that just causes an extra strain as the public leaves frustrated.
- KAK: Can you give an example of some of the services that you’re having to turn people away for?
- JL: We are unable to do benefit verification letters. (Social Security recipients) would need that letter to keep their housing. If they’re in low-income housing and they don’t have access to the internet, they would have to come into the field office and request a letter. We can’t provide those. We can’t address overpayments at this time … and we can’t deal with suspensions if you’ve been incarcerated.
- KAK: Are you seeing any lines at the field office?
- JL: The administration executed the largest staffing cut in Social Security’s 90-year history in March. So we’re suffering from understaffing — that’s going into a 50-year low in staffing into January. We serve an all-time high rate of beneficiaries, and we are severely understaffed, so the lines are already long. There’s already a long wait time to get through to a live agent on the 1-800 number.
- We’re appointment-focused as our business process for the agency now — that fully went into effect as of December of last year. So you have to have an appointment for most business with us. It takes months to get an appointment. It takes a long time to get your benefits processed.
- KAK: Why is it important for Social Security recipients to have access to direct human support that isn’t online or automated?
- JL: We serve vulnerable populations with a lot of food and housing insecurity, not a lot of financial resources to be able to purchase high-speed internet or the technology needed to go online. And then we service a retiring and elderly population and a disabled population, and just the general population who is navigating our complex programs and procedures and really need a live agent to sort through that. The technology, AI, hasn’t really met the needs of the public. So by and large, the public needs their work to be handled by a live agent, and there’s just not enough of us.
