Concerns about the future of Social Security

Seniors across the Northland and beyond are concerned about social security. The Minnesota AARP says 40% of the recipients in the state rely on the payments for over half of their living expenses. Lately, seniors have reported difficulty getting help from the Social Security Administration.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D – Minnesota) described what she has been hearing from her constituents during a presser: “Across the state, seniors and families are calling my office with the same concern. They worked hard. They paid into Social Security with every paycheck. Now, the rug is being pulled out from underneath them.”

Tony Wagner, a Minnesota man, said it was a challenge reaching the administration over the phone due to long wait times. After his wife died, there were also some things the office required him to do in person. He had to drive several times to his local office, which is 30 miles away.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is looking to implement new Social Security policies, including discontinuing the option for seniors to verify their identity over the phone. The Trump team says this move is intended to prevent fraud and reiterates that Social Security benefits are not being eliminated.

Cathy McLeer, the state director of the Minnesota AARP, is also concerned about the potential move: “We know that older Americans in rural areas will have to drive hours.” McLeer says that someone who lives in Warroad or Roseau would have to drive over 100 miles to the nearest social security office in Hibbing or Bemidji.