Orlando, Fla. — U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost says staffing cuts at the Social Security Administration are contributing to long lines and delays at the downtown Orlando office on Orange Avenue.
Frost said DOGE staffing cuts last year — when the Trump administration eliminated 7,000 employees or nearly 12% of the Social Security Administration’s workforce — are affecting service for local Social Security recipients.
“They have less staff than they had in 1993 — less staff than 1993 — and we’re at a point now where they’re sending more checks out because more people are on Social Security,” Frost said.
Long lines have been seen outside the downtown Orlando Social Security office, especially during weekday mornings.
Frost said he believes another reason for the delays is that the agency now requires people to physically come to the office for tasks such as a change of address, instead of handling them online.
“I meet with the workers there all the time here in the office about the long lines, about the fact that many of them who have been there a long time have been pulled off their desks and been told to answer phones,” Frost said. “And what they’re doing essentially is overbooking, so you might not wait on the phone a long time and the numbers appear good, but the service isn’t good when you actually go in because there’s so many people there.”
Social Security recipient Sigrid Burson said she didn’t have to wait too long because she was able to secure an appointment online.
“It wasn’t like the past when I have to sit in a hot line,” Burson said. “I went straight into the appointment and they took care of me. Very lovely people — today.”
Burson said that has not always been her experience at the office.
“The line is usually down and around the corner to be honest,” Burson said. “It was long to where one time I had to leave because it was too hot, and so I think it’s not fair for someone to have to stand outside for a service that needs to be taken care of.”
Frost said he and other lawmakers have prepared legislation aimed at addressing the issues.
“We have many bills that protect federal workers, bills to make sure that we have more resources going to the Social Security Administration so that way not only will the phone be answered, not only can you get an appointment, but when you show up you can actually quickly be able to get done what you need dealt with or get it done online,” Frost said.
Spectrum News 13 reached out to the Social Security Administration in June with questions about the situation but did not hear back for several weeks.
A spokesperson for the administration has said they are working on a response.