AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) - Congressman Jim McGovern visited seniors at the Applewood retirement community apartments in Amherst on Friday. Congressman Jim McGovern discussed the efforts of the Trump Administration with residents. "What's happening in Washington directly impacts the people who are g athered here in this room. People are nervous, people are concerned, and people want to express their opinions." Massachusetts audit reveals $2M state benefits fraud, SNAP leads McGovern's visit allows the Applewood community to voice their questions and concerns about what's going on at the federal level, especially regarding healthcare and social security. Elon Musk has described federal benefit programs as fraud, suggesting they will be a target in his goals to reduce government spending. He's falsely claimed that undocumented immigrants are fraudulently accessing hundreds of billions of dollars worth of benefits, including social security, Medicaid and disability programs. Plus, DOGE plans to close dozens of Social Security Administration offices across the country this year. The Social Security Administration has suggested that citizens applying for social security or disability benefits over the phone would need to verify their identities in person or using an online program.  "If you're shutting down offices and laying off staff, it's going to be very very difficult." Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has said the president "will always protect" social security and will not cut benefits".  White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Monday, "any American receiving social security benefits will continue to receive them. The sole mission of DOGE is to identify waste, fraud, and abuse only." While uncertainty remains, McGovern plans to continue town hall-style forums to bridge the gap between Washington and western Massachusetts. Local News Headlines What to know ahead of St. Patrick’s Parade Weekend in Holyoke? Warm weather sparks garden planning as spring arrives March Madness betting in Massachusetts Economic impact of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade weekend WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. ...read more read less