Advocates for maintaining and improving Social Security and fighting cuts in the program by the Trump administration are horrified by news that some seniors and others calling about their Social benefits have been told by the person answering the phone that “suicide is one option.”
The incredible news that this is happening is being shared online by Michael Phelan of Social Security Works, a longtime organization fighting for better benefits and against cuts to the program. Phelan reports that this is happening as a result of shifts in assignments to people who work for processing payments to answering phone calls from benefit recipients and people eligible for benefits, and the people answering phones having received a three-hour training program that instructs them to convey the message about suicide.
He cites a report in the publication Government Executive that was released last Friday, during the regular weekly news dump period, when bad news is released with the idea that it will fly under the radar, since millions are shifting into thinking about what they have to do for the weekend.
“I always knew that we should expect anything from this administration,” Phelan said in a statement. “But this is worse than anything I expected. I am horrified.” He said his organization is reaching out to contacts in the Social Security Administration and getting the word out to the media and anyone else who can help put pressure on to stop the practice.
The original report in Government Executive notes that “swaths of employees have been transferred to the job of answering phone calls.” Those workers, the report notes, are ones who normally process payments and do other work that does not require interaction with the public. They have received only a three-hour training session before starting phone duty.
Suicidal ideation is sometimes expressed by callers who, for one reason or another, are facing problems of daily life and now more frequently problems with their benefits, and talk about suicide. Rather than receiving the kind of training that would gently try to transfer such callers to competent mental health professionals who could help them with their problems, they were told to tell such callers that “suicide is only one option.” They then go on to give them information about their benefits, which often does not address the problems they are calling about.
As part of their training, the original report in Government Executive says, some callers may express suicidal ideation, and they give examples using a theoretical employee named Fiona.
“It’s important for Fiona to keep the caller engaged and to remind her that suicide is only one option,” the trainer tells the workers in a video. The Government Executive has a copy of the video, it says. Workers receiving the training were shocked and asked for clarification.
According to Government Executive, Caitlin Thompson, who worked for the Veterans’ Affairs Department, which runs hotlines for people in crisis, said, “No, it’s not the thing to say to someone in crisis who might be suicidal. It’s not the normal thing to say, it’s not the thing to say to someone who might be suicidal.”
In addition to training phone answerers to properly refer potential problem cases, a major step in the right direction, advocates for maintaining good Social Security benefits say, the Trump administration and the Social Security Administration should beef up the number of workers, not cut the number, processing benefits and that the Administration should stop its attacks on benefits people have earned from a lifetime of working.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call or text 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information.
We hope you appreciated this article. At People’s World, we believe news and information should be free and accessible to all, but we need your help. Our journalism is free of corporate influence and paywalls because we are totally reader-supported. Only you, our readers and supporters, make this possible. If you enjoy reading People’s World and the stories we bring you, please support our work by donating or becoming a monthly sustainer today. Thank you!
CONTRIBUTOR
