Sequestration: What It Means For Social Security

First it was the "Fiscal Cliff"....Now "Sequestration" gets to take center stage. 

Gov. Martin O’Malley urged action in Washington Wednesday to avoid federal sequestration—a series of automatic cuts that threaten job creation and reduce vital services for families and children in Maryland and across the nation.

The Washington Post published this handy guide on the sequestration.

“These are job-killing cuts that are an economic threat to Maryland,” O'Malley said in a statement. “Too many moms and dads in our State will lose jobs, too many children will lose access to programs like Head Start, and too many of our most vulnerable Marylanders will lose assistance from the safety net we’ve worked so hard to protect."

The mandated federal spending cuts would take effect Friday if Congress and President Obama cannot reach an agreement, but it will not include cuts to entitlement programs like Social Security.

But that doesn't mean Social Security is immune to the situation, and it could have an impact on the agency's Prince George's County office in Suitland, MD.

According to CNBC:

"The Social Security Administration would have to furlough workers for ten days or more. That would likely delay the processing of retirement and disability claims and a smaller staff would mean offices would be closed early or permanently, resulting in longer wait times for service. Social Security checks are still expected to be mailed."

The Baltimore Sun reports the cuts would leave people who call the agency's hotline on hold for 10 minutes and delay some disability decisions by a month.

Tell Us: How will you be affected by the sequestration?