In-person services still vital

Government spends piles of money and endless hours to determine the best ways to conduct outreach and provide services to specific vulnerable demographic groups. We would have liked to have seen the same consideration given to our state's and nation's senior citizen population.

The Social Security Administration has announced that, beginning in August, some services previously available at the agency's various field offices will no longer be available. Specifically, the offices will no longer issue Social Security number printouts beginning in August and, starting in October, will no longer provide benefit verification letters except during emergencies.

Although 11 million American seniors visited the offices last year for such information, in the future they will be forced to make such requests via the Internet or phone.

U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley and Sen. Chuck Grassley have come out against the move, citing concerns that the reduction of in-person services could ultimately result in the closure of field offices. Braley has introduced legislation to delay the changes for a year.

Since the service reductions impact Iowa's 19 field offices and politically active elderly population, we're frankly shocked that all of the state's federal elected officials haven't joined the fray.

We also question if a year delay is enough to, as Braley hopes, verify the proposed cuts make economic sense and don't adversely affect Iowa's seniors.

While there is no doubt that some older Iowans are technologically savvy, using computers and smartphones on a daily basis, such a comfort level is not yet the norm in rural areas where broadband remains sketchy.

While moving services for high school or college graduates to technology-based systems likely would earn our nod of approval, we cannot advocate such a system change that impacts older Americans. We are especially unwilling to do so since there is no hard evidence that such changes will result in taxpayer savings.

' Comments: (319) 398-8262 or editorial@thegazette.com