Good news for Californians: This is how the new complaints portal works if you’re having issues with your Social Security payments

A new Social Security complaints portal has been launched in California, allowing benefits claimants in the Golden State to report any disruptions they experience amid cuts to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

“Your benefits should not be impacted”

The online complaints form, which can be found at oag.ca.gov/socialsecurity, was announced by California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, on Tuesday.

“Your social security benefits should not be impacted by President Trump and Elon Musk’s cuts to federal funding and programs,” Bonta said in a press release. “If you experience any disruptions to your social security benefits, I want to know.”

How to use the Social Security complaints form

The form allows Californians to report disruptions by submitting their contact details - name, postal address, email address and phone number - and checking a box next to one or more of the following statements:

• Your social security check has not arrived
• Your social security check arrived late
• You are unable to reach the Social Security Administration via phone
• You are unable to reach the Social Security Administration via the online portal
• You are unable to reach the Social Security Administration in-person at one of their offices in California

Musk targets SSA amid DOGE drive

Appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to slash federal spending, Musk has targeted the SSA, whose Social Security benefits schemes aid six million people in California and more than 70 million nationwide.

In addition to claiming that Social Security is subject to widespread fraud - an assertion not backed up by official statistics - Musk has described entitlement programs as “most of the federal spending” and “the big one to eliminate”.

It was announced in February that the SSA’s workforce is to be reduced from 57,000 to 50,000, while numerous lease terminations on Social Security offices are listed on the DOGE’s ‘Wall of Receipts’.

Amid DOGE cuts, there have been reports of disruptions such as the Social Security website crashing, recipients being mistakenly told their were no longer getting benefits, and callers facing longer waits to speak to an SSA representative on the telephone.

Albeit it has walked back a more widespread cutting of its phone services, the SSA has reduced the number of procedures Americans can complete by calling the agency. Notably, users can no longer update their banking information over the phone.

“Chaotic changes and disruptions”

“Within the last months, chaotic changes and disruptions within the Social Security Administration have caused issues for people trying to access their benefits,” Bonta said.

He added: “These issues are largely attributed to changes including a cut to 12% of the Social Security workforce, potential gutting of its phone services, and the closure of field offices.

“The California Department of Justice is committed to protecting Californians from unlawful actions by the Trump Administration which should not impede access to federal entitlement programs - including social security benefits.”

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