THOMASVILLE- Last week, dozens of Social Security Administration (SSA) offices across the country closed. Among the offices listed to close are five locations in Georgia- Brunswick, Columbus, Gainesville, Vidalia, and Thomasville.

As Social Security offices serve as a lifelines for retirees, individuals with disabilities, orphans, and low-income individuals who rely on benefits to cover basic expenses, Georgia senators have spoken out, warning that this layoff will greatly reduce the agency’s ability to serve recipients in a timely manner.

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock strongly condemned the decision, criticizing the Trump administrations’s budget priorities and argues that these cuts will primarily benefit the wealthy.

“For millions of Georgians, Social Security provides a baseline of support and stability,” Warnock said. “It ensures our seniors, who’ve spent decades paying into the program, can afford rent, groceries, and medication. Permanently closing five Georgia Social Security offices will make it harder for Georgia seniors, especially in rural areas, to enroll in the program, solve payment issues, report fraud and more.”

Warnock explained that he is all for cutting government waste and abuse, but never at the expense of hardworking Georgians, especially retired seniors.

“On the Senate Aging Committee, I’ve worked to protect Georgians from bad actors looking to take advantage of seniors, and this is no different,” he said. “The closure of these offices will make it significantly harder for Georgians to get access to their benefits or talk through an often confusing bureaucratic system.”

Warnock told the public to make no mistake in guessing where the money saved, an estimated $289,138 in Thomasville, would go.

“This money taken away from Georgia seniors will go towards tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy,” Warnock said. “I will use every avenue available to fight back against this reckless action and remain focused on getting our seniors the benefits they paid for and rely on to live safe, healthy lives.”

Fellow Senator Jon Ossoff spoke in a media briefing on Wednesday about his concerns, warning that the closure of the local SSA offices will risk seniors’ access to social security.

“I am demanding that the Trump Administration reverse course and abandon these cuts to access to Social Security for seniors in Georgia,” Ossoff said.

The “DOGE” website, Elon Musk’s website, currently lists Social Security offices in Columbus, Gainesville, Vidalia, Brunswick, and Thomasville for closure.

“These are cuts to access to Social Security for Georgia seniors,” Ossoff continued. “Seniors in Georgia rely on Social Security offices to apply for benefits, to get a new Social Security card, to appeal a denial of benefits, to apply for Medicare eligibly; this isn’t a handout. These are benefits that seniors have paid for throughout their careers and when you cut access to Social Security, you directly hurt seniors in Georgia.”

Ossoff argued that seniors can’t be expected to travel halfway across the state to meet with someone for Social Security, especially when Georgia has the second largest backlog for Social Security disability applications.

“We already face a crisis of access to Social Security benefits for seniors in Georgia, closing these offices will deeply damage Georgia seniors’ access to Social Security benefits,” he concluded.