Social Security’s telephone customer service sucks, acting leader admits. Many senior citizens agree

Social Security’s acting commissioner recently said out loud what many beneficiaries are thinking these days – the agency’s telephone customer service can “suck.”

Social Security’s acting commissioner recently said out loud what many beneficiaries are thinking these days — the agency’s telephone customer service can “suck.” “We need to show how bad we suck on the telephone so we can understand the problems,” acting commissioner Leland Dudek told agency executives at an operational meeting last month that was posted on YouTube. “Then we can be truthful with the public and then figure out rational ways to solve this problem.” Complaints about Social Security’s telephone services predate the Trump administration. But changes to Social Security amid a massive reorganization spurred by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have prompted Americans to flood the agency’s phone lines with questions, including whether they’ll continue getting their benefits or will need to prove their identity in person. So many more people have been calling in recent weeks that customer service representatives tell CNN it’s much harder for them to help those with more standard needs, such as applying for benefits or getting a new card. Hundreds of people have written to CNN recently with their concerns about Social Security, including multiple readers who’ve spoken about long waits on hold, dropped phone calls and unfulfilled requests for calls back. Adding to the frustration is that some of those who manage to get through are told there are no available appointments with telephone specialists or at their local field offices — and are advised to try again later. “When you call the Social Security number before open hours, you are given a message that you are calling outside of business hours,” said Linda Obermeit, who has yet to have her issue resolved despite hours on the phone and at field offices. “However, when you call a few seconds later, you are informed that there are too many people in (the) cue and to call back later.”