Donald Trump (Photo via Reuters)
President Donald Trump's sweeping cuts to the federal workforce has created widespread chaos and suffering for government employees.
Federal workers from three separate agencies described bureaucratic chaos as they tried to obtain their workplace benefits, such as health insurance and pension payments, after the president and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk slashed thousands of jobs across the government, reported CNN.
“There are no words to describe how difficult this has been,” said one Department of Education employee, whose family lost their health insurance coverage for weeks. “There’s been no communication. No kindness, no compassion. It’s just devastating.”
That Education Department employee was eventually reinstated by a court order, but her husband was unable to maintain his medical appointments while recovering from cancer, which resulted in additional complications that required further attention.
“There is now so much unknown for our future," the woman said. "It is hard to feel secure. I feel like it could be ripped away at any time."
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An IRS worker told CNN that she was hit with a $3,300 bill after taking her son to the emergency room on Easter for a severe allergic reaction because her health insurance was paused after she was laid off in February.
“I knew I didn’t have insurance, but I didn’t want to take the chance," she said. "At that point, you’re not thinking about health insurance.”
An IRS employee in Indiana told CNN she delayed crucial medical tests for her wife while she tried to get her health coverage back online, saying she spent more than 25 hours on the phone trying to get her insurance restored.
“The insurance company said I didn’t have insurance, the IRS said I did," the worker said. "I couldn’t get the sides to get together and talk on one another. It was absolute utter chaos. I was on the phone every single day for two weeks. I even broke down in tears on the phone.”
An IRS revenue officer from Massachusetts said he had been unaware that his insurance had been canceled until an unpaid bill arrived after his annual physical.
“If I get into an accident," he said, "that’s going to bankrupt me."
A retired U.S. Postal Service worker from Georgia told CNN that his monthly federal pension benefits stopped after the Social Security Administration erroneously declared him dead in April.
“Retirees are being left hung out to dry,” said 73-year-old John Reid III, who worked for USPS for more than three decades. “I am so disappointed with our government.”
Reid called the Office of Personnel Management eight times to resolve the issue, and while Social Security eventually corrected the record, he still hasn't gotten his May pension payment.
“At this juncture, I’ll believe it when I receive it,” Reid said.
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