Social Security Gets New Toilets

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By Douglas A. McIntyre Published
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Social Security Gets New Toilets

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Social Security is reviled by many Americans. This is particularly true of people who receive it. The Social Security Administration has tried to improve its image after it was battered by its operations at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

People who receive Social Security payments often have trouble figuring out why they get the amount they do. Is it based on how long someone has worked or how much they made? People who make over $147,000 are not taxed on the amounts above that sum. This seems like a good deal for the rich, who get Social Security payments no matter how much they made or make now.

People who retire at 62 are paid less than people who retire at 66 plus a few months (the month’s figure has its own calculation). People who retire at 70 make even more. This leaves older Americans to guess when they will die. Since many Americans live to be over 80, why should people be allowed to take money at 62? Retirement age, as defined by the government, should be older.

Another criticism of Social Security is that there is no one to talk to about problems. While this is a slight exaggeration, waiting in line outside a Social Security office or on the phone can be worse than making an airline reservation or ordering cable TV. People are encouraged to go online. If they cannot get an answer there, or have problems, they are sent back to the lines outside the office and phone numbers. (Note: As of this writing, the Social Security Administration says it is having problems with its national 1-800 line.)
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The Social Security problem has become so universal that it just released a document titled We Remain Committed to Working With You. It is a reaction to years of service poor enough to cause public outcry.
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Some of the items are important:

  • People should check to see if their problems can be handled online.
  • When people apply, there are no documents to sign.
  • Call before coming to the office. A call may allow people to make an appointment.
  • Busy Social Security offices are being helped by those that are less busy.
  • Some offices help people in lines to make sure they have the correct paperwork
  • Offices have added canopies and fans.
  • People can use their phones to check in for office visits.
  • At some locations, people have access to water fountains and toilets.

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If these do not solve your problem, maybe get in touch with Dr. Kilolo Kijakazi, who is the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration.

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About the Author Douglas A. McIntyre →

Douglas A. McIntyre is the co-founder, chief executive officer and editor in chief of 24/7 Wall St. and 24/7 Tempo. He has held these jobs since 2006.

McIntyre has written thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St. He is an expert on corporate finance, the automotive industry, media companies and international finance. He has edited articles on national demographics, sports, personal income and travel.

His work has been quoted or mentioned in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Time, The New Yorker, HuffPost USA Today, Business Insider, Yahoo, AOL, MarketWatch, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian and many other major publications. McIntyre has been a guest on CNBC, the BBC and television and radio stations across the country.

A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, McIntyre also was president of The Harvard Advocate. Founded in 1866, the Advocate is the oldest college publication in the United States.

TheStreet.com, Comps.com and Edgar Online are some of the public companies for which McIntyre served on the board of directors. He was a Vicinity Corporation board member when the company was sold to Microsoft in 2002. He served on the audit committees of some of these companies.

McIntyre has been the CEO of FutureSource, a provider of trading terminals and news to commodities and futures traders. He was president of Switchboard, the online phone directory company. He served as chairman and CEO of On2 Technologies, the video compression company that provided video compression software for Adobe’s Flash. Google bought On2 in 2009.

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