The Social Security Administration is considering changes to services available in its field offices. Congressman Don Young
opposes these changes because he believes they will hurt rural Alaskans. KDLG’s Chase Cavanaugh has more.
In an attempt to cut costs, the Social Security Administration is considering changes to services offered at its offices around the country, as well as closing down certain facilities. Matt Shuckerow a spokesman for Alaska Congressman Don Young. He says although there aren’t any plans to close Alaska offices, Young is concerned about cuts to service.
“Coming this fall, there’s gonna be two changes that will, in Congressman Young’s opinion, severely impact the way Alaskans access records. These are changes to functions that people can take in person at field offices. These are to verify statements and receive copies of their social security number. These are set to take place in August and October, respectively.”
Instead of handling these requests in person, the Social Security Administration would transition these services to an online space. However, with sporadic internet access in rural areas, as well as few field offices in Alaska, Shuckerow says this will only hurt Alaskans.
“Moving the access to some of these critical services to online only and cutting out the face-to face interaction that can be done at field offices around the state, this is in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Juneau and Ketchikan, our only four locations, by cutting this face to face interaction and ability to get the simplest tasks done, Congressman Young fears that Alaskans are going to be left out of the loop.”
Young and 122 colleagues wrote a letter to Carolyn Colvin, the acting director of the SSA, urging her to reconsider the proposal. Shuckerow says other actions have been taken, but at this point, it’s only a first step.
“They wrote to ask. These are quickly approaching, and Alaskans are going to realize, August is going to be here sooner than we imagine and these changes are going to be implemented. This is one of the first steps, I know that in the Senate, there was a hearing that took place as well as an internal investigation on the changes that are being had and it’s something that’s being reviewed on both sides of Congress in the House and Senate.”
While the SSA said it would offer an exemption to in-person services in dire circumstances, Shuckerow says there is too much red tape to depend on that option alone.