ANCOR Joins Coalition Letter in Support of Funding for the Social Security Administration

ANCOR signed on to a letter led by the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities urging Congress to pass legislation to fund the Social Security Administration (SSA) to the full amount requested in Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The letter to Leaders Schumer and McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy urged action to ensure that the SSA has the resources needed to restore staffing and address SSA’s outdated phone systems.

The letter noted that full funding is necessary in light of the steep rise in the number of beneficiaries—rising 21% from 2010 to 2022—while at the same time, the SSA’s operating budget has declined by 17%. This has led to staffing shortages, with the agency losing over 7,000 full-time equivalents between 2010 and 2020 and an additional 1,400 since the beginning of the pandemic, with6,000 more expected losses in 2023. The result of fewer dollars and fewer staff members, combined with persistent phone issues, have led to severe challenges in SSA’s ability to provide good customer service and adequately serve its beneficiaries.