HALLOWELL — Social Security staffers working in Maine and those who rely on monthly benefits are calling on leaders in Congress to stop cuts to the agency’s workforce and potential office closures.

Workers say staffing is at a 50-year low and they worry additional cuts will lead to delays and mistakes.  As it is now, it takes about 30 days to get an appointment at a local office, a time that could grow to three months with major cuts, they said.

“I do ask that our legislators standup, do their jobs, what we elected them to do, and not bow or cower to political pressure,” said Kathy Davis, a 73-year-old Social Security recipient from Lewiston.

The AFL-CIO, which represents some of the Social Security staffers in Maine, highlighted the potential impacts of staff cuts on Tuesday in Hallowell. 

In Maine, more than 355,000 people receive Social Security, which includes retirees and those with disabilities. And while some offices are currently at full staff, others are not. That puts pressure on other offices to absorb extra work, said Ray Thompkins of Rockland, a claims specialist.

“We’ve had people come into our office and talk to our management ‘please do not close this office it would very much hurt us,’” he said.

In late February, the Social Security Administration said it would soon begin restructuring the agency, which would “include significant workforce reductions.”

“Through these massive reorganizations, offices that perform functions not mandated by statute may be prioritized for reduction-in-force actions that could include abolishment of organizations and positions, directed reassignments and reductions in staffing,” according to a Feb. 27 news release. 

The following day, the SSA released another statement saying that it intends to cut about 7,000 of its 57,000 employees and that a “rumor of a 50 percent reduction is false.”

Regardless of the exact number of reductions, Maine workers say Social Security offices are already struggling to keep up.

“Right now, if you file for disability, they tell me to tell people it will take six months, in my personal experience it’s probably closer to eight, maybe nine,” said Christine Lizotte, a claims specialist. “If you cut my staff by half, now you are looking at 18 months for an initial decision.”

And for those with disabilities or serious illnesses, 18 months could be a timeline that’s too long for them to get the help they need, she said. 

Another concern is the potential for office closures.

Last month, the Social Security office in Presque Isle briefly appeared on a General Services Administration list of government owned properties no longer considered core to government operations.

But that list was swiftly taken down and it now says “coming soon” on the GSA website.

The Trump administration has also sent mixed messages on its plan for Social Security, with top advisor Elon Musk describing it “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time” while Trump insists he does not want to reduce benefits. 

For retirees like Kathy Davis, the uncertainty adds stress to a time in her life that’s supposed to be about enjoying the benefits of paying into the system for 46 years.

She said she gets just under $2,000 a month, which is enough to pay the bills but not much else.

“I’ve very nervous about it, very scared,” she said. “It’s just not what my retirement years should be. I should be relaxing, enjoying myself, not sitting on pins and needles waiting for the axe to drop on my life.”