Every month, millions of Americans receive Social Security benefits, either as retirees or as part of one of the world’s most important and richest social benefit systems. Of course, a strong and sovereign country like the United States cannot have a retirement and pension system that is neither sustainable nor fragile.
Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House with Elon Musk, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing cuts in its “secretary” known as DOGE (an allusion to a cryptocurrency in which he has participated). Musk and DOGE’s proposed job cuts and office closures may lead to a “disaster in the making,” according to some officials.
DOGE cuts to Social Security: How this affects you
The federal government’s planned cuts, including the elimination of 7,000 jobs (12% of the workforce) and office closures, are causing delays in benefit processing, including SSDI and SSI applications.
In some cases, wait times of up to 370 days have been reported, particularly in Georgia, where wait times have increased between the time a beneficiary applies for benefits, when they are approved, and when they are sent.
This impacts over 72.5 million beneficiaries, including 11 million individuals with disabilities who rely on programs like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for basic necessities.
Reducing services could lead to interruptions or erroneous suspensions in payments, which would be catastrophic for those who cannot afford essentials without these benefits, such as the 42% of those over 65 who rely on these payments as their primary source of income.
Who commits Social Security fraud? DOGE says they are “massive”
Musk has claimed massive fraud, including payments to deceased individuals, to justify the cuts. However, Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek has denied these claims, indicating minimal fraud. This raises questions about whether the cuts are truly about efficiency or cutting spending, which disproportionately affects the most vulnerable.
Office closures have also been reported to affect rural areas, forcing beneficiaries to travel long distances for their procedures and applications.
DOGE has reportedly closed at least six of the regional offices it is targeting, and many of those that remain open have eliminated overtime and frozen new hires, particularly in Disability Determination Services (DDS), which has hampered claims processing.
Entire offices, such as Civil Rights, which is in charge of discrimination cases and accommodations for blind employees, have been closed, as have contracts for medical experts for disability hearings and maintenance services.
As you might expect, this has resulted in hearing cancellations, including critical cases such as terminal illnesses in patients who require financial support in their final moments.
The 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 changes are being led by DOGE “outsiders” who are unfamiliar with the Social Security Administration’s complex structures, posing a risk for errors and chaos.
According to one official, Musk’s proposed cuts to the Social Security Administration are a “disaster in the making” that could cause significant issues with benefit distribution in the near future. We’ll see if these warning voices come true or if they remain a scare that never occurred.
