Social Security Administration workers and local seniors on Wednesday joined a national day of action in Broward County to demand that Congress address a mounting crisis of underfunding and staffing shortages at the federal agency that manages monthly payments and benefits to tens of millions of older Americans.
Organized by the American Federation of Government Employees, the rally comes at a precarious time for the agency. Federal appropriations for Social Security are set to expire at the end of January, leaving millions of beneficiaries and thousands of workers in limbo.
“We demand our government pass a federal budget that strengthens our communities, not one that further hurts our families,” said Shaunellia Ferguson, president of AFGE Local 2014, in a statement. The rally took place outside the SSA office in Plantation.
“Social Security workers bring care and professionalism to the American people and we are struggling to provide the services that the public needs and deserves," Ferguson said. "A severe staffing shortage and the threat of a second government shutdown could further imperil Social Security.”
READ MORE: The Social Security Administration plans to cut field office visits by 50%. What it means for you
Last month, the Associated Press reported that the SSA is looking to cut in half visits to its field offices this year, a move that advocates for the agency fear signals more closures are coming.
At least 7,000 SSA workers have been laid off from the agency this year as the Trump administration has proposed a number of plans to streamline services at the SSA.
The agency is currently grappling with what advocates call "irresponsible backlogs," union officials and activists said. According to data released during the day of action, there are currently 12 million delayed transactions at field offices and 6 million pending cases at processing centers.
The union and advocates cite one report from the Strategic Organizing Center that shows field office staffing has dropped by 9% since 2024. The report notes that there are now nearly 4,000 beneficiaries for every single field office worker.
The crisis extends to the agency's phone lines as well, union officials and advocates. The report's authors found that 1-800 line call centers have lost 7% of their workforce in the last year, even as call volume spiked by 20%.
Those who organized Wednesday's rally in Fort Lauderdale want elected officials to fully staff the SSA, pay workers a living wage, and provide the necessary funding to keep the government open.
The House passed a bipartisan package of three spending bills this month that would fund parts of the federal government through September to avoid another government shutdown near the end of January.
Congress has so far passed only three of the 12 annual spending bills that fund federal agencies for the current fiscal year.
Failure to pass the remainder before a Jan. 30th deadline risks another shutdown just weeks after the record-setting, 43-day shutdown that occurred late last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
