‘Social Security is not an entitlement’: Protesters rally in Vancouver over sudden changes, staff cuts at federal agency
VANCOUVER, Wash. – About 100 people rallied Monday in Vancouver, Washington, to protest sudden changes and staff cuts at the Social Security Administration.
Two grassroots community organizations – Indivisible Greater Vancouver and MoveOn-Clark County – organized the demonstration at the high-traffic intersection of Mill Plain and Chkalov Drive in east Vancouver.
They picked Monday because that’s when the Social Security Administration ended verification of identity over the phone, instead requiring new in-person identity checks for beneficiaries who can’t access the agency’s online portal.
“This is the first protest I’ve gone to since the Vietnam War,” said Karen Claybin, an 80-year-old Vancouver resident. “I was on the Social Security website for four hours on hold. I might not even get my Social Security check. Social Security is something I’ve paid into, and they shouldn’t touch.”
Protesters, many of whom were older adults, voiced concerns about Social Security Administration staff reductions and widespread office closures. The Trump administration recently called for the agency to lay off 7,000 of the agency’s 57,000 employees.
Alan Unell of Indivisible Greater Vancouver helped organize the protest alongside other members of the group, including his wife, Voki Hovagimian. A recipient of Social Security benefits himself, Unell is concerned that staffing cuts could make it harder for people – particularly those in rural communities and individuals with disabilities – to access essential services.
“One after another, they’re taking away services that we the people paid for,” Unell said.
Social Security is a government program financed by payroll taxes that provides monthly benefits to individuals who are retired, disabled or the surviving family members of deceased workers.
In 2024, more than 20 percent of the federal budget was dedicated to Social Security, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Protesters said as a result of the anticipated mass layoffs, the Social Security website has been crashing, keeping recipients from accessing their data and forcing them to wait longer to get help online or in person.
Indivisible Greater Vancouver member Tracy Brown, whose husband is paralyzed and on Medicaid, uses monthly Social Security checks to support them financially. For her, like many others in attendance, Social Security is a necessity, she said.
“Social Security is not an entitlement,” said Brown, 65. “We’ve all paid into it. So to cut it just to enrich billionaires is not OK.”
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