U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) discusses cuts to Social Security (March 26, 2025)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is urging residents to contact their representatives about stopping cuts to social security.
Schumer said the cuts being made and proposed by Donald Trump’s administration and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency would be devastating for the 4 million people in New York State who receive Social Security payments.
He said Trump and Elon Musk realize they can’t outright cut Social Security, so they’re using other tactics including closing Social Security offices with more than 7,000 planned staff cuts. Even as offices are being closed, Schumer said new guidance issued by the Trump administration requires Social Security recipients to verify their identities in person at agency field offices, which they were previously able to do over the phone. He added that the Social Security Administration website has already crashed four times in 10 days this month.
In Chautauqua County a total of 38,255 people receive Social Security payments, totaling $60,350,000 a month.
Schumer says if cuts continue, wait times would sky rocket with it taking 9 months to process disability claims, 8 months for benefit appeals, and 11 months for benefit hearings according to Social Security experts.
Former Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley said, “Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits… I believe you will see that within the next 30 to 90 days.”
Schumer urged residents to contact their House representatives, especially if they live in Republican-led districts, to plead with them help stop these cuts.
I have been under your Senate guise for as long as I can remember. Never with so much at stake. My biggest concerns are not receiving 100% of my monthly S.S. Retirement funds. If they stay intact then I have another justifiable concern, my Medicaid paid benefits. Without either I will be pretty much dead in the water. My credit score is 781 this week and I’m proud of that. Losing that score would be a very real hardset on me.