Every month, millions of Americans get Social Security payments, either as retirees or because it is one of the most significant and wealthiest social benefit programs in the world. Of fact, a powerful and independent country like the United States cannot have a retirement and pension system that is neither viable nor unstable.
However, since Donald Trump returned to the White House and brought Elon Musk with him, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has been targeted by the cut plans being implemented by its “secretary,” known as DOGE (an reference to a cryptocurrency in which he has engaged). According to some authorities, Musk and DOGE might create a “disaster in the making,” by removing thousands of jobs and shutting dozens of offices.
DOGE cuts to Social Security: How this affects you
The federal government’s planned cuts, which include the elimination of 7,000 job positions (12% of the workforce) and the closure of offices, are causing delays in the processing of benefits, such as SSDI and SSI applications, with wait times of up to 370 days in some cases, such as in Georgia, where wait times have now increased between the time a beneficiary applies for benefits, when they are approved, and when they begin to be sent.
This impacts around 72.5 million beneficiaries, particularly the 11 million people with disabilities who rely on these programs for basic necessities like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
Reducing services may result in disruptions or erroneous suspensions of payments, which would be disastrous for people who cannot afford basic necessities without these benefits, such as the 42% of persons over 65 who get these payments and rely on them as their primary source of income.
Who commits Social Security fraud? DOGE says they are “massive”
Musk has defended the reduction by claiming huge fraud, such as payments to the dead, but Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek has rejected these allegations, demonstrating that real fraud is limited. This raises questions about whether the cutbacks are actually about efficiency or decreasing expenditure, which disproportionately affects the most disadvantaged.
Office closures have also been reported to affect rural regions, causing recipients to travel considerable distances for their processes and applications. DOGE has allegedly shuttered at least six of the regional offices it is targeting, and many of those that remain open have slashed overtime and halted new recruitment, particularly in Disability Determination Services (DDS), which has hampered claims processing.
Entire offices, such as Civil Rights, which is in charge of discrimination complaints and accommodations for blind workers, have been closed, as have contracts for medical experts for disability hearings and maintenance services.
As you may expect, this has resulted in hearing cancellations, including serious instances such as terminal diseases in patients who need financial support in their last moments.
he list of Social Security offices expected to close in 2025
- Alabama
- 634 Broad St., Gadsden: September 30
- Arkansas
- 965 Holiday Drive, Forrest City: April 25
- 4083 Jefferson Ave., Texarkana: May 25
- Colorado
- 825 N. Crest Drive, Grand Junction: June 21
- Florida
- 4740 Dairy Road, Melbourne: May 16
- Georgia
- 1338 Broadway, Columbus: September 30
- Kentucky
- 825 High St., Hazard: April 24
- Louisiana
- 178 Civic Center Drive, Houma: April 25
- Mississippi
- 4717 26th St., Meridian: June 1
- 604 Yalobusha St., Greenwood: June 1
- 2383 Sunset Drive, Granada: May 1
- Montana
- 3701 American Way, Missoula: June 21
- North Carolina
- 730 Roanoke Ave., Roanoke Rapids: August 1
- 2123 Lakeside Drive, Franklin: June 23
- 2805 Charles Blvd., Greenville: June 24
- 1865 W. City Drive, Elizabeth City: June 24
- North Dakota
- 1414 20th Ave. SW, Minot: June 21
- Nevada
- 701 Bridger Ave., Las Vegas: June 1
- New York
- 75 S. Broadway, White Plains: May 31
- 332 Main St., Poughkeepsie: May 31
- Ohio
- 30 N. Diamond St., Mansfield: May 17
- Oklahoma
- 1610 SW Lee Blvd., Lawton: April 25
- Texas
- 1122 N. University Drive, Nacogdoches: May 7
- 8208 NE Zac Lentz Parkway, May 25
- West Virginia
- 1103 George Kostas Drive, Logan: April 30
- Wyoming
- 79 Winston Drive, Rock Springs: June 20
According to Leland Dudek, these reforms are being directed by DOGE “outsiders” who know little to nothing about how the Social Security Administration operates and are unfamiliar with the program’s intricacies and intricate systems, increasing the likelihood of mistakes and disarray.
Another official we talked with said that Musk’s changes to the SSA are “a disaster in the making” and that there is a risk of serious benefit distribution issues in the near run. We’ll see whether these warning voices come true or if they remain a fright that never occurred.