As local offices are closed down for Social Security and moved completely online, a focus for Congresswoman Cindy Axne has been to sponsor a bill to make sure social security personnel will be available by phone to assist seniors who require social security funds. Congresswoman Axne tells KNIA News after she heard of constituents having difficulties getting the money they needed to live, she knew something had to be done.

“I had a gentleman, who unfortunately his wife died, and if that’s not hard enough, he couldn’t get through to them. So for him to figure out what kind of social security he’s going to be able to receive now that his wife has passed away, he had to go in and his entire life’s earnings all the way back to 1966, each salary. I can tell you that wasn’t easy for him to remember, to figure out, and to find the data for, and it took hours. So we are really taking chunks of people’s lives away as we ask them to wait on hold and/or not even reach anybody so they can solve the problems that they are facing in regards to getting the benefits that they’ve deserved.”

Axne said her bill won’t require any additional tax dollars to implement, and will get rid of the hours-long wait times on the current hotline which is unacceptable for seniors to have to go through.