The Senate Finance Committee convened last week to examine “work and Social Security disability benefits, focusing on addressing challenges and creating opportunities.” Throughout this hearing, the committee took every opportunity possible to illuminate the program's inaccessibility and ineffectiveness. Social Security is deeply broken.
Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), in several of his statements throughout the hearing, attempted to fight back on repeated instances of overpayments that continue to cost the public. He highlighted a $28,000 overpayment example that hurt a person who was already struggling with balancing food and housing costs. This is a price many people have had to pay. He was understandably very upset following the opening statements. The consequences of the failure to address this problem deeply affect many of the 97% of older people who either will receive or do receive Social Security benefits. Wyden directed most of his inquiries to Erin Godtland, the assistant director for education, workforce, and income security at the Government Accountability Office. Her questioning was a prime example of the brokenness of the system.
She mentioned that Social Security “is a very complicated process for beneficiaries to fight back.” She later conceded that the GAO has not conducted a review of that end process in several years. Godtland struggled with her colleagues throughout the hearing to respond with any real specificity to questions about the useless complexity of accessing benefits through the Social Security program. Wyden’s broader concerns about accessing the programs and understanding how people best advocate themselves were left unanswered. This showed a leader in the department with the inability to be specific or direct.
Wyden's questions then focused on the ambiguity surrounding the Social Security application process. He brought to light a significant deficiency: the glaring shortage of knowledgeable resources dedicated to guiding applicants through this complex procedure. Godtland attempted to cover that by saying, “When someone calls in, they are connected with our customer service representatives.” She justified the fact that these people only have very little information. Wyden interjected her justification to add that they are connected to someone new every time someone calls. He summarized in plain terms that the claimants are basically “starting over every time.” In essence, the system is placing people in deep need with representatives who are not fully aware of the process.
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) pressured Godtland further on why the GAO uses such outdated eligibility criteria. The high costs were mentioned. Crapo highlighted the ineffective ways the Social Security Administration uses its data by mentioning the immense amount it spends on it. When Godtland was asked about the SSA's process for evaluating policies concerning tradeoffs with respect to growing mandatory spending, she consistently gave vague answers.
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Godtland's frequent lack of specificity and her flustered attempts to justify the challenges epitomize the systemic problems within Social Security. Despite promises of accessibility, the program is faltering. This echoes the committee's call for transparent testimony, revealing a program that even its experts struggled to articulate clearly during the hearing.
Social Security isn't working well for many people. The program is in need of serious reform.
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