The Social Security Administration (SSA) is tasked with paying monthly benefits to around 70 million vulnerable Americans on a monthly basis. The SSA has undergone a slew of changes over the course of this year, with some changes being driven by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which was previously headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Amongst these changes, the agency announced sometime in February that it had plans to cut down the workforce by 7,000 employees. Beneficiaries of Social Security include retirees, disabled individuals, and survivors, and the downsizing of the SSA workforce and closure of field offices could cause additional difficulties for seniors and disabled persons who may need to contact the agency or are required to visit a field office.
Cuts at the Social Security Administration
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was introduced by President Trump with the goal of reducing federal spending. Many critics, however, felt that this kind of downsizing and cutbacks could ultimately result in delays or even cuts to benefits. This is especially concerning when considering the fact that 40% of beneficiaries rely on the monthly Social Security benefit as their lone source of income.
Subsequently, regarding the DOGE imposed cutbacks, Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, warned that the DOGE cuts “have already hindered our members and supporters (mostly seniors, people with disabilities, and their families) from collecting the benefits they have paid for.”
Additionally, a Retirement Living spokesperson explained to Newsweek that, “Our research shows that many retirees rely on Social Security as their financial lifeline, not just a supplement. That’s why older adults in some states are more at risk than others. In places with higher economic vulnerability, a large portion of the senior population simply can’t afford to lose any part of their benefit.”
Beneficiaries living in certain states might face more difficulty than others as costs of living differ from area to area, and some states have a higher concentration of Social Security beneficiaries than others. In addition to this, some areas might not have as many field offices meaning the cohort of vulnerable beneficiaries would have to travel out.
Social Security retirees by state
In a 2025 study conducted by Retirement Living, the following states have been ranked as the top ten states where retirees are most reliant on Social Security:
- Vermont: 90.9 percent of seniors receive Social Security; the average check is $1,949.07; the cost-of-living index is 114.4.
- New Hampshire: 91.6 percent of seniors; $2,087.54 average check; cost-of-living 112.6.
- Massachusetts: 82.8 percent of seniors; $1,979.84 average check; cost-of-living 145.9.
- Washington: 90 percent of seniors; $2,003.81 average check; cost-of-living 114.2.
- New York: 83.1 percent of seniors; $1,922.40 average check; cost-of-living 123.3.
- Delaware: 90.1 percent of seniors; $2,085.16 average check; cost-of-living 112.6.
- New Jersey: 85 percent of seniors; $2,087.95 average check; cost-of-living 114.6.
- Rhode Island: 88.4 percent of seniors; $1,963.73 average check; cost-of-living 112.2.
- Oregon: 92.7 percent of seniors; $1,909.85 average check; cost-of-living 112.
- Hawaii: 83.9 percent of seniors; $1,895.23 average check; cost-of-living 186.9.
Regarding the fears faced by retirees with the prospect of SSA cutbacks, Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said, “Every day older Americans are waking up worried about getting their Social Security benefits on time and in full, between threats of field office closures, endless phone wait times, and an increasingly unreliable website. This Trump manufactured chaos is causing millions of seniors to file for Social Security early – taking a permanent cut to their earned benefits because they fear that Trump will destroy the program before they get their money out,” when speaking to Newsweek.
“Trump is laying the groundwork for privatizing Social Security, and this report reaffirms that millions of seniors count on Social Security to make ends meet. For Americans who worked and paid into Social Security their entire life, Trump’s efforts to gut Social Security from the inside out are unconscionable,” Wyden added.
It remains to be seen what path the SSA will take with regards to further cuts, however, several advocacy groups have motioned to take legal action in the hopes of undoing any DOGE-imposed changes.