CLEVELAND — It's something more than 73 million Americans rely on, but changes and confusion over Social Security have many people feeling insecure right now. Recipients told us the problems are beyond frustrating, and that's with current staffing levels.
Now, with plans on cutting even more employees nationwide, people in Northeast Ohio feel the administration is already giving them the runaround.
“Before all of this started, I didn't have high blood pressure. I got high blood pressure now,” said Gerald Elliott, 67, from Cleveland. He told us he has that now after recently being told he had to pay Social Security back about $10,000. “And I'm stressed and it's too much stress for me,” said Elliott.
Elliott said it turns out the overpayments were because someone stole Elliott’s identity.
GO RUNAROUND AND GATHER INFO
He was first told to get a bunch of paperwork proving who he was. So he did.
He told us he went back up to the local office.
“It was that point in time that I found out that I didn't have to go get any of this stuff because I had my ID stolen,” said Elliott.
Weeks went by; he heard nothing. He said he went back to the office again and was told he should be going to the downtown office, and again, another run around.
“I went downtown,” said Elliott. “Downtown doesn't have any information (initially) on me whatsoever.”
PROBLEMS BACK THEN
Back in 2019, News 5 Investigators went to Washington, D.C., with your Social Security complaints in hand. An expert told us then, there were not enough workers.
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“The ongoing struggle is getting enough money to hire the staff that you need in order to provide the service delivery system,” said Web Phillips, who, at the time, was the Senior Legislative Analyst for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
That was six years ago, when Social Security had 63,000 employees. This year, the Trump administration announced that there will be 7,000 fewer workers, getting the total number of staff down to 50,000.
“I don't see the logic in firing all those people because you are way behind as it is,” said Elliott.
STATES TAKING ACTION
All of this is happening when the Baby Boomers are filling up Social Security offices. It's gotten so bad that some states are taking action. The Michigan Attorney General wants people to send her information on the problematic issues they're having.
“You almost feel like it's me against Social Security,” said Social Security expert April Roberts. “And people feel like 'I'm the little guy and you've got the government here.’”
Elliott feels some of that, too, and just hopes Social Security figures it all out soon.
“At least let me get the money that you all have been taking from me since January of '23,” he told us.
Today, we contacted Social Security about Elliott’s problems, hoping to get him some help. Meanwhile, Elliott said he's not the only one. He’s heard from family members and others in his apartment building that they are struggling with Social Security as well.
