The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) administrative budget and staffing levels have shrunk by double digits over the past decade, due in part to caps on discretionary funding put in place in 2011. Meanwhile, the number of Social Security beneficiaries has grown at an even greater rate, leading to serious backlogs and customer service challenges for the agency that were only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. What does this mean for the people SSA serves?

This live, virtual event, moderated by the Academy’s Rebecca Vallas, showcases leading experts and stakeholders, including:

• Kathleen Romig, Social Security Administration
• Jeff Cruz, American Federation of Government Employees
• Manasi Deshpande, University of Chicago
• Darcy Milburn, The Arc of the United States.

The panel discusses the role of administrative funding to ensuring SSA is able to deliver on the promises of its programs for the people it serves;

• implications for the disability and aging communities;
• what the President’s FY 2025 budget proposal released earlier this month would mean for SSA and its claimants, beneficiaries, and staffing;
• recent research examining the impact of changes in SSA customer service during the pandemic
• and more