The Social Security program currently has around 74 million beneficiaries spanning the country. For many of these vulnerable Americans, their Social Security benefit exists as a primary or even sole source of income that allows them to cover their living expenses on a monthly basis. As such, the importance of the Social Security Administration’s role in seamlessly sending out these benefit payments each month cannot be overstated enough.
Despite this, throughout the course of the year thus far, service delivery at the agency has become a growing concern from advocacy groups and former SSA officials. This issue was first raised following the SSA’s February announcement wherein the agency stated that it plans to reduce its workforce by about 12% (or 7,000 employees) over the course of the 2025 fiscal year.
When the Trump Administration took to office in January, the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was soon dispatched to federal agencies including the SSA with the aim of enacting cutbacks. Subsequently, ten percent of staff per field office has been lost at over 30 percent of SSA field offices across the country. As a result, fears of delays or interruptions with benefit payments has since become a talking point for experts and former SSA officials. Here is what you need to know.
States most impacted by Social Security staffing cuts
The Strategic Organizing Center recently released a report outlining the staffing cuts at SSA field offices on a state by state basis. The findings in the report revealed that some states were faced with a much higher decline in staffing than others. In total, field offices spanning 46 states have faced staff reductions. Of these field offices, at least a third have lost 10 percent of its staff.
The top 5 field offices with the highest percentage of workers cut are listed as follows, as per the Strategic Organizing Center’s report:
- Wyoming – 17 percent cut
- Montana – 14 percent cut
- West Virginia – 11 percent cut
- Hawaii – 11 percent cut
- New Mexico – 10 percent cut
“Field office cuts were particularly alarming if they occurred in rural states or areas with a large amount of rural land,” the Strategic Organizing Center further noted. A lack of access to either computers or reliable internet sources would mean that the residents of rural areas would now be compelled to make a trip to their local field office due to requiring in-person assistance. However, increased foot traffic at an understaffed field office will unfortunately translate to slower than usual service delivery.
Another important factor to consider regarding this is disability rates. West Virginia, the state with the highest percentage of cuts, also holds the highest disability rate in the county.
Former SSA official speaks out
According to a June report from the Center for American Progress, “the last time the SSA had this few employees was 1967, when the agency served 480 beneficiaries for every staff member. In 2025, the agency would be attempting to serve 1,480 beneficiaries for every staff member.”
It can, however, be noted that due to the significant technological advancements over the years, through the use of computers, one SSA agent will now have the capacity to serve a higher volume of clients than what was the case fifty years ago. Regardless of this, however, Martin O’Malley, the SSA Commissioner during the Biden Administration, has shared that following the staff cuts, computers are no longer enough for the agency to keep up.
“Every member of Congress will tell you that — regardless of party — their phones have been exploding with additional numbers of people who have been calling their congressional representatives because they can’t get through to Social Security for the benefits that they’ve already earned,” O’Malley stated.
“Because of the speed and the depth of the cruelty of the staff cuts to Social Security — an agency that was already struggling to serve record numbers of new beneficiaries because of baby boomers — the staff was cut to a 50-year low. The continued, never-fail, every-monthly string of payments by Social Security is very much in jeopardy,” he further asserted.