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.
“We’ve all paid into it,” said Brown, 65. “So to cut it just to enrich billionaires is not OK.”
