Trump/DOGE attack on Social Security may limit access to benefits for millions

Trump/DOGE attack on Social Security may limit access to benefits for millions

By Lynda Carson - March 19, 2025

Today is Wednesday, March 19, 2025. There are over 70 million social security recipients and these are some horrific very grim dark foreboding times for the Social Security Administration (SSA), SSA federal employees, social security recipients, and for those who may be trying to sign up for their social security benefits. Since the convicted felon Donald J. Trump has recently been elected as the latest president of the U.S., the former commissioner for SSA under the Biden Administration recently stated that since Trump got back into office, things got so bad at the SSA that the system may collapse, and social security recipients may have interruptions to their social security benefits during the next 30 to 90 days.

In some of the headlines on the Google newswire today about Social Security, it appears to be a very grim situation; Memo details Trump plan to sabotage the Social Security Administration. Leaked memo: DOGE plots to cut Social Security phone support. Cuts’ absolutely going to crater’ Social Security, says former commissioner. Social Security Employees Warn Of Benefit Delays. Social Security chief says he will ‘continue to make mistakes’ but vows to learn from them. Musk echoes rightwing conspiracy theories to defend social security cuts. Musk uses immigration, claims of voter fraud to sell Social Security cuts. Judge Moves to Limit Musk’s Power, and a Social Security Shake-Up. DOGE Reversed Course on Half of Its Social Security Lease Terminations. As DOGE Mauls Social Security, Profit-Hungry Private Equity Is Swooping In. Trump Admin Lays Out Plan to ‘Sabotage’ Social Security by Cutting Phone Services. Social Security benefits Could Be Denied Or Delayed For Millions Of New Retirees. Social Security requiring in-office visits for millions of recipients, applicants. Social Security cuts phone services in bid to address fraud. Millions Will Face Benefit Delays as Social Security Ends Phone Verification. Social Security Administration to require more in-person visits. Social Security Will Require Online or In Person Identity Checks. What Social Security says to do if you’re incorrectly listed as dead. These Are the Social Security Offices Expected To Close This Year.

https://news.google.com/search?q=Social%20Security%20Administration&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

It is very unlikely that AARP is willing to spend some money to help organize retired persons all across the nation who are social security recipients to have a “Day Of Action,” or a series of ‘Days of Actions,’ to save social security. And to have rallies or protests in front of the Social Security Administration building, and social security offices all across the nation to save their social security benefits. It appears that AARP may be too busy making lots of money off of the retired persons all across the nation to get involved.

According to the latest AARP 990 tax filing for FY 2023, the gross receipts for AARP were $28,924,004,795. After subtracting their liabilities from their assets, AARP had net assets or fund balances of $2,704,087,284 that year. At the time, Jo Ann Jenkins (then AARP CEO) raked in a whopping salary of $2,384,325, plus $117,426 in other compensation.

Some people are wondering what will it take to get millions of people onto the streets of America to save the Social Security Administration https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/03/04/18873998.php , and the social security benefits that they paid for?

Leaked memo details Trump plan to sabotage the Social Security Administration.

Reportedly on March 17, 2025, a leaked memo details the convicted felon President Trump’s plan to sabotage the Social Security Administration (SSA). In part the recent news report states, “An internal Social Security Administration (SSA) memo, sent on March 13 and obtained by Popular Information, details proposed changes to the claims process that would debilitate the agency, cause significant processing delays, and prevent many Americans from applying for or receiving benefits.

The memo, authored by Acting Deputy SSA Commissioner Doris Diaz, purports to be motivated by a desire to mitigate "fraud risks."

Elon Musk has pushed several false claims about the nature and scope of Social Security fraud. In a recent interview on Fox Business, Musk suggested that 10% of federal expenditures were related to Social Security fraud. This is false. Social Security fraud does exist, but "improper" Social Security payments amounts to about $9 billion annually — less than 1% of total Social Security benefits paid and 0.1% of the federal budget. Most improper payments are not criminal fraud but the result of beneficiaries or the SSA failing to update records.

The biggest change contemplated by Diaz's memo is to require "internet identity proofing" for "benefit claims… made over the phone." When an SSA customer is "unable to utilize the internet ID proofing, customers will be required to visit a field office to provide in-person identity documentation."

Additionally, according to the report, "Currently customers can make claims and verify their identity without using the internet or visiting a SSA office. Fraud is extremely rare because there are many safeguards in place. After the initial teleapplication is completed, the information provided is checked against tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, and medical information, depending on the nature of the claim. If there are any discrepancies, a customer may need to mail a copy of their birth certificate to the SSA. About 40% of all claims are currently processed over the phone.

Because the SSA serves a large population that is either older or physically disabled, many cannot access the internet. Under the new system, this would force these populations to visit an office to have their claim processed. The Diaz memo estimates it would require 75,000 to 85,000 in-person visitors per week to SSA's offices to implement the policy.

SSA offices do not currently have the resources to handle an influx of in-person appointments of this size. In 2023, the most recent data available, there were about 119,128 daily visits, on average, to SSA offices. Eighty-five thousand more week visits would be a 14% increase. SSA offices no longer accept walk-ins and the wait time for an appointment, even before these changes, averaged over a month.

The memo anticipates creating a huge surge in demand for in-person appointments as the SSA slashes staff and closes offices. Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek has announced that he will terminate 7,000 workers, about 12% of the workforce. Meanwhile, dozens of SSA offices are being shuttered. Some people need to travel more than 100 miles to get to the nearest location. As the SSA limits services that could be provided over the phone, it is ending in-person services at some offices, converting them to phone-only.”

Kathleen Romig, Director of Social Security and Disability Policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

Additionally in regards to the on-going attack against the SSA, and social security recipients or beneficiaries, reportedly earlier today Kathleen Romig, Director of Social Security and Disability Policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, stated, “It's going to impact anyone who struggles with the online verification system that SSA has.

So that could include people who are just not comfortable using online services, which often does include older people and people with disabilities, which are the main populations that the Social Security Administration serves.

It also means people who are not allowed to open a My Social Security account, so, for example, children. Their families will have to visit a Social Security office in person to authenticate their identities and to do business with the agency.

It also affects people who perhaps don't have a driver's license or don't have a smartphone in order to use those online authentication tools.

The way that typically identities are authenticated by phone is by asking questions that only the person with that identity would be able to answer.

So this is very commonly used by the private financial industry as well. When you have trouble logging into your bank account or your mortgage lender's account, then you would typically call and sort out any problems over the phone and they'd ask you these knowledge-based questions. So that's what SSA has been doing, and it's pretty common practice.

It's not perfect, but no identity-proofing method is perfect.

I think that any time a field office closes to the public, it's going to have an impact on the people who live in that area.

There's research that even shows that people are less likely to get the Social Security disability benefits that they have earned and that they are eligible for if a field office in their area closes.

If you are able to authenticate your identity online and make those changes online, then, sure, faster processing makes sense.

But the fact is, if you do have to go into a Social Security field office, as this new policy requires, then it's going to take you over a month to make that change. And that's because there's already a two-hour hold time on the phone to get a call back from the Social Security Administration to make an appointment, and then over a monthlong wait on average to get an appointment in a field office.

The reason that it's taking the Social Security Administration longer to process disability claims and too long to answer the phone and to make appointments with people is because there are already not enough staff members working at SSA.

And that's because of years of underfunding. And so the Trump administration is actually moving to double down on those staff cuts. They're planning for another 7,000 staff cuts at the Social Security Administration this year. So what that's going to mean is fewer people answering the phones, fewer people taking appointments, fewer people processing claims, and that's going to mean longer delays in each one of those areas.

And it's going to make it harder for applicants and beneficiaries to access their benefits. And it's not just beneficiaries either, but it's going to affect people who are trying to access their Social Security statement, people who need a replacement Social Security card because they're seeking a job or just got married. These services affect everyone.”’


For more about DOGE, feel free to click here, https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/03/13/18874376.php .

Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com

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