To The Editor:

Social Security is in the worst crisis since its founding in 1935. 

Not because it’s running out of money – there are viable proposals to shore up the Social Security trust fund.

Not because of fraud or administrative costs – Social Security has a payment accuracy rate of 99.7%, and its administrative costs are 0.5%, by far the lowest of any large program in the public sector. If there was massive fraud, we would have heard all the details.

Leland Dudek, the new acting commissioner of SSA, has made multiple rapid and chaotic policy changes. Together with Elon Musk, he has pushed out dozens of officials with decades of experience running its complex systems. The agency was already short staffed, but the exit of so many key employees leaves retirees with little to no recourse should the rapidly changing systems cause an interruption of benefits.

Phone lines are tied up for hours. People might wait on hold for up to six hours, or they might be cut off after a couple hours. Although many Social Security recipients have long been unable to physically access local offices, DOGE’s website states 22 office leases have been terminated, making access that much more difficult. 

The SSA website crashed four times in 10 days this past month. 

Untrained and unvetted DOGE employees have unprecedented access to sensitive SSA data, including beneficiaries’ bank-account information. 

I strongly encourage Rhode Islanders to call their senators and representatives today to tell them to do everything in their power to save Social Security. If you are not personally being affected, your parent or your grandparent or your disabled neighbor is. Veterans and people on Medicare or Medicaid are being affected by similar chaos and similarly draconian budget cuts. 

Demonstrations are being held throughout Rhode Island every week. As more and more people begin to understand that this is not right, the number of demonstrators increases each week. On Saturday, April 5 at noon, there will be a large march from Hope High School in Providence to Kennedy Plaza.

Dana Holmgren

Cranston