With across-the-board staff cuts reverberating through government agencies, thanks to the efforts of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), it was inevitable that Social Security would feel the pinch. Now the budget ax has started to affect the Social Security Administration, and beneficiaries are left wondering how the monthly payments they rely on will be impacted. 

Since DOGE announced reductions in staffing within Social Security, we’ve seen a slew of articles describing the cuts and warning of their effects. This analysis from USA Today provides a good, basic overview. It was prepared by personal finance reporter Medora Lee.  

If you or someone you love is affected directly or indirectly by Social Security – and that’s just about everyone in the U.S. to one degree or another – we encourage you to be informed about the developments at SSA. The program is so massive that even a small interruption in benefits has the potential to wreak havoc in millions of American households. 

The DOGE Ax Falls at SSA with “Significant” Cuts 

Lee begins her article with a stark assessment. “The ax has fallen at the Social Security Administration,” she writes. Lee quotes this SSA press release which describes an agency-wide reorganization that will result in “significant workforce reductions.”  

The press release warns that “offices that perform functions not mandated by statute may be prioritized for reduction-in-force actions that could include abolishment of organizations and positions, directed reassignments, and reductions in staffing.” 

Impact on Current Beneficiaries Remains Unclear 

Lee writes that it’s tough to say how those currently receiving benefits will be impacted. “It’s unclear how the 72.5 million Social Security beneficiaries, which include retirees and children who receive retirement and disability benefits, will be affected,” she writes, “but some politicians, policy experts and Social Security consultants say Americans may face a slowdown in the processing of benefits applications and longer waits for SSA help.” 

One senior Democratic Senator was scathing in his response. Responding to rumors of a plan to cut SSA workers by 50 percent – a draconian figure later denied by SSA officials – Oregon’s Ron Wyden, ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, stated, “Firing half of all Social Security workers will guarantee that seniors will stop seeing their earned benefits arrive on time and in full. A plan like this will result in field office closures that will hit seniors in rural communities the hardest.” 

Regardless of the degree of cuts, office closures and service slowdowns appear inevitable. 

Agency Insiders Warn That Current Beneficiaries Will Be Impacted 

We looked at another article, this one from Business Insider, to get an assessment of just how much those presently receiving benefits should worry about the cutbacks at SSA. Business Insider interviewed agency employees who gave a somber assessment of what’s to come. 

The article reports, “Delayed payments, longer wait times: Cuts to the Social Security Administration’s workforce will have a detrimental effect on the benefits millions of Americans rely on every month, several agency employees said.” 

One agency employee who requested anonymity called the ramifications of downsizing “enormous.” This person told Business Insider, “Because it’ll take two to three times longer to work these cases, some people will die before a decision is reached.” 

Are the Initial Personnel Cuts Just the Tip of the Iceberg? 

As USA Today reports, the initial cuts of less than 10 percent are rumored to be just the start. “SSA said it set a staffing target of 50,000, down from the approximately 57,000 employees at the agency now.” One spokesperson called the rumors of a 50 percent staff reduction false. These rumors first surfaced late last month and triggered a furor of reaction. 

“The agency expects most of the reduction will result from retirements, buyouts and resignations,” USA Today reports. “The rest may come from layoffs that could include abolishment of organizations and positions, or reassignments to a different job within the agency, it said.” Agencies are required to submit their layoff plans to the Office of Personnel Management by March 13.  

Qualifying workers are being given the option of early retirement or a cash buyout. Others must agree to voluntary reassignment within SSA.  

Regional Offices Slimmed Down, Local Offices Shuttered 

While the Social Security Administration has shifted much of its interaction with beneficiaries to its online portal in recent years, millions still rely on local offices to file claims and get questions answered in person or by phone. But the USA Today article makes it clear that this kind of in-person help will be harder to access. 

According to Lee, the number of regional offices will be slashed from ten to four. SSA calls the maintenance of ten regional offices “no longer sustainable.” (Seattle has a regional office, along with Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.) Headquarters staff will also be streamlined into fewer departments. 

Local offices will be closed in a wide variety of communities, says Lee. “Before SSA’s reorganization announcement on Friday,” she writes, “office leases for Social Security sites across the country were already being terminated, according to the Department of Government Efficiency website. The site shows rental agreements for dozens of Social Security locations across Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, and other states have been or will be ended.” 

Important Tips to Deal with a Downsized SSA 

One group that will almost certainly be affected by staff cuts at the Social Security Administration, experts agree, is made up of those people who will soon be applying for benefits. USA Today’s Lee has some suggestions for those future beneficiaries, based on her conversation with Florida-based Social Security expert Chuck Czajka. 

Here (included verbatim) is what Czajka suggests:  

Have patience. With a reduced staff, reaching out to the administration will likely result in longer wait times and delays.  

Create an online profile. If you haven’t yet created an online SSA account, now may be the best time to do so. An online account can help you estimate future benefits, manage benefits you already receive or give you a status update on your application. 

Apply for benefits as early as possible. Cuts to the SSA may impact the amount of time it takes to have your benefits approved. You can apply for benefits up to four months before you expect to receive them. Applying as early as possible can help ensure they’re available when needed. 

Seek assistance from a Social Security expert. If you’re uncomfortable with applying or communicating with the SSA on your own, seek assistance from a Social Security expert who can help you. They should be able to answer many of your questions and limit your need for help from the SSA. 

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(originally reported at www.usatoday.com)