Editor's note: This story is posted with permission from the anonymous federal employee who shared it with us. Some edits were made for length and clarity.
I work in one of the payment centers at the Social Security Administration. My job entails wearing many hats. I keep records, fix issues with the system, send letters, call beneficiaries, process claims, and a plethora of other things.
SSA is wildly understaffed, with more beneficiaries than ever before and the lowest staffing levels in 50 years. Those staff are the people who work at local offices that you see face to face, people who answer phones, people who process your claims. In 2024, there were nearly 68 million Americans drawing benefits. That's over 1,000 people for every one SSA employee. Imagine how difficult it is to keep up with the demand!
I, like many of my coworkers, didn't join the federal workforce because of the money. I could get paid much more in the private sector. However, for as long as I can remember, I have had a need to serve my country.
Initially, I wanted to join the military and continue the family line of soldiers. My body had other ideas, however. I became disabled and my dreams were crushed. But I found meaning in providing benefits for hardworking Americans in retirement, the disabled, and those in abject poverty. I took an oath to the Constitution, one that I take very seriously. It feels great when I get to cut a deserving person a big check because I know the money is going to someone who really needs it. Many of our beneficiaries live solely on these benefits. It cannot be overstated how important this work is.
Payment Center employees at Social Security work in the background, understaffed, and often skipping our breaks and eating lunch at our desks in the name of serving our country. I know the average person thinks of us as faceless bureaucrats with no empathy or souls. I'd like for people to know that we really do care and do everything we can within the confines of the law to act in the best interest of every American in every single case. I want nothing but the best for my fellow Americans. I want them to thrive. I hope that one day, they can see that we're more than cogs in a wheel. In the end, we are all American people. We all work hard, have our morals and beliefs, and come home exhausted after long days. We're not so different from you. Please don't believe what you've been told about us being lazy. We work hard for you. All 68 million of you and counting.