Social Security News: Offices Cut, Employees Laid Off, Stricter Repayment Terms
Category: Social Security
March 12, 2025 — The 68.6 million Americans who receive Social Security retirement benefits have an obvious interest in its future. It is especially important for the half of Americans aged 65 or older who live in households where Social Security benefits account for at least 50% of their family income. Roughly 25% rely on these benefits for at least 90% of their income. Any cuts to Social Security will severely affect those folks, and in fact, almost anyone who gets those benefits.
Despite promises not to impact Social Security, the “third rail” of politics, signals from the new administration are not encouraging. DODGE czar Elon Musk, who is busily applying his chain saw to U.S. institutions, told Podcast Host Joe Rogan last week that Social Security is “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time”. SSA Commissioner Dudek said he plans to cut at least 7,000 employees, even though at 60,000, its staff is at a 50 year low. Plans are afoot to close at least 47 regional offices, with many concentrated in the South and across the Southeast. Some of those were already slated for closure due to lack of in-person visits, but most were not.
Critics of the Administration counter that it is difficult to see how slashing employees and local offices is going to lead to anything but longer waits and delays in getting benefits and customer service. According to Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, the White Plains hearing office in her state has 2,000 pending cases. If closed, she believes that beneficiaries will be required to travel between 24 and 135 miles to get to another office if it closes.
Dead People Over 100 Getting Benefits- Not!
The motivation to cut spending on Social Security is aimed at cutting waste and fraud. Certainly, like in any large program, there must be some of that. But many people are upset about the debunked conspiracy theory repeatedly recited by the President and Elon Musk that “millions and millions of dead people over the age of 100″ are receiving benefits”. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), fraud accounts for less than 1% of total Social Security payments.
In fact the Social Security Agency reports that only about 90,000 people over 100 are receiving benefits, which seems to correspond to the 100,000 people that the Census Bureau counts to be in that demographic. The total of the benefits they receive is nowhere near the amount cited by DOGE and others. (Note: the SSA does have millions and millions of people over 100 in its database, and many of those do not have death certificates. But only about 90,000 of them are receiving benefits). See chart below, Source: Social Security Administration.
Retired worker beneficiaries in current payment status at the end of
December 2024, distributed by age and sex (from Social Security Admin)
Stricter New Repayment Requirements – 100% out of monthly check
The Social Security Administration just announced that it will immediately withhold 100% of any overpaid benefits, even if it was not the recipient’s fault. That could mean that some people would get no benefit at all until the overpayment is paid off. Recently, only the higher of 10% or $10 would be withheld per month. Per the National Committee to Protect Social Security & Medicare, the revised policy will lead to financial hardships for many recipients who have been overpaid by Social Security. In a statement that organization said: “This action, ostensibly taken to cut costs at SSA, needlessly punishes beneficiaries who receive overpayment notices — usually through no fault of their own”.
Meanwhile up in Maine
Residents up in Maine were upset by Commissioner Dudek’s new rule, now retracted, that new parents in Maine had to visit a Social Security office to obtain an SSAN for their children. He also withdrew an edict that funeral homes could not file death certificates electronically. Independent Maine Senator Angus King said in response that “this rapid reversal has raised many concerns… and left many unanswered questions about the future of Social Security”.
A long-standing crisis still looms
In addition to the concerns raised by the new Administration’s actions and plans, there remains the issue of Social Security trust funds running out of money in the mid 2030’s. Neither political party seems to be taking that issue seriously.
Stay tuned!
Changes are coming fast and furious. We will do our best to bring you accurate and useful information on the topic.
Comments on "Social Security News: Offices Cut, Employees Laid Off, Stricter Repayment Terms"
Rufus says:
The majority of people no longer trust what government agencies like "Social Security" tell us. So just because "Social Security" says DOGE is not being fair with their assessments doesn't mean it's true. Social Security is being run by humans not "Angels" so yes let us stay tuned and not panic. I'm 71 and not the least bit worried on an annual household income of $50,000.
RAF says:
90, 000 persons over 100 receiving Social Security benefits? That does not seem like an accurate estimate.
Admin says:
We have updated the article to include the chart from Social Security that shows how many beneficiaries by age (90 and above). You can doubt their figures, but it would be great to have some facts to back up any claims to the contrary. There is no disputing how much is being spent on Social Security retirement benefits. That amount has to equal the number of beneficiaries times the amount they receive in benefits.
Danno says:
To be clear, Social Security is basically a Ponzi Scheme in that it takes money from more recent payers into the system to pay prior payers into the system. It is not much different than a multi-level marketing scheme. With folks living much longer and the birthrate half what is was when SS began in 1935 we will need some changes to keep it solvent in less than a decade. I would recommend increasing the retirement age to 64. In 2023, the French did this by upping their SS age from 62 to 64. This prevented many other ugly options to correct the budgetary imbalance.
There should be fewer employees than 50 years ago as there was no widespread use of computers in 1975 nor was there any AI.
Shumidog says:
Danno, suggest you read Paul Krugman's article on Substack, which explains why Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme. https://paulkrugman.substack.com/
Rufus says:
Keep in mind that Paul Krugman is a rock solid left-winger if that matters. By the way, Elon Musk was adored by us left-wingers until he hooked up with Donald Trump. Relax and just give it time; perhaps Elon is still the same wonderful man he was a year or so ago.
Chris says:
Thanks Shumidog. The Krugman article is one of the clearest explanation of how Social Security works I have ever seen. Should be required reading for every working American.
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-clean-little-secret-of-social
Mike says:
Where is the announcement from SS saying DOGE is being unfair? Is there a statement on SS website, did I miss an email from SS informing me or was there a SS news conference denying DOGE's findings? The only thing official I have heard of is from President Trump's pick for acting SS commissioner Les Dudek who said about dead people getting benefits “The reported data are people in our records with a Social Security number who do not have a date of death associated with their record. These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits.”
Why would someone believe DOGE just because it tells them with no facts to back their claims. DOGE says that data proves there is rampant fraud and waste so show us! DOGE could easily show payments that SS processed to dead or ancient, or nonexistent beneficiaries but they just spread baseless rumors instead of providing examples. Show me the payment to Mike Honcho aged 150 who lives at 123 Fake Street, Anytown, USA 12345, seems like a simple task.
The Federal Trade Commission describes a multi marketing system this way: "MLM companies sell their products or services through person-to-person sales. That means you’re selling directly to other people, maybe from your home, a customer’s home, or online. If you join an MLM program, the company may refer to you as an independent “distributor,” “participant,” or “contractor.” Most MLMs say you can make money two ways: by selling the MLM’s products yourself to “retail” customers who are not involved in the MLM and by recruiting new distributors and earning commissions based on what they buy and their sales to retail customers. Your recruits, the people they recruit, and so on, become your sales network, or “downline.” If the MLM is not a pyramid scheme, it will pay you based on your sales to retail customers, without having to recruit new distributors. Most people who join legitimate MLMs make little or no money. Some of them lose money. In some cases, people believe they’ve joined a legitimate MLM, but it turns out to be an illegal pyramid scheme that steals everything they invest and leaves them deeply in debt". Please explain how this system applies to SS, I don't see it.
The Ponzi excuse just won't die either. A Ponzi scheme relies on an illusion of large rates of return to attract new investors with the operator of the scam pocketing most of the money. Again explains how this applies to SS. SS has been paying benefits for 85 years, never missed paying benefits, kept tens of millions of people out of poverty and produced a nearly $3 trillion dollar surplus. That is not a Ponzi scheme but the most effective, efficient and popular Federal program ever created. It is self funded, doesn't add to national debt, hasn't borrowed money from China to finance it's operation and has low administrative costs. Apply SS way of doing business to the Pentagon and Advantage plans and we would make a difference in waste and fraud.
There is no one retirement age, there are 7 based on birth year. Clarify if you mean full retirement age or age at which one can collect early benefits Your recommended retirement age of 64 would lower the age not increase it if you are talking about future retirees. For anyone born after 1960 the full retirement age is 67 so a retirement age of 64 is a decrease in age requirement.
I recently had to contact SS to gain access to my online account, it was a four hour wait talk to an agent. The agent was capable, patient and polite. He resolved my issue in 15 minutes. An AI chatbot would run me in circles forever before sending me to an agent, only adding to my frustration and wasting my time.
The 100% payback only applies to overpayments incurred after March 27 and applies to SS benefits,not Supplemental Security Income overpayments. Overpayments before that keep their original payback rate. You can request a lower repayment rate. The 100% payback is nothing new it has been used by Democrat & Republican administrations in the past, but changed to 10% during the Biden years.
Mike says:
Where is the announcement from SS saying DOGE is being unfair? Is there a statement on SS website, did I miss an email from SS informing me or was there a SS news conference denying DOGE's findings? The only thing official I have heard of is from President Trump's pick for acting SS commissioner Les Dudek who said about dead people getting benefits “The reported data are people in our records with a Social Security number who do not have a date of death associated with their record. These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits.”
Why would someone believe DOGE just because it tells them with no facts to back their claims. DOGE says that data proves there is rampant fraud and waste so show us! DOGE could easily show payments that SS processed to dead or ancient beneficiaries but they just spread baseless rumors and operate in the dark instead of providing examples of the millions of 150 year olds they say are receiving benefits. Show me the payment to Mike Honcho aged 150 who lives at 123 Fake Street, Anytown, USA, seems like a simple task.
The Federal Trade Commission describes a multi marketing system this way: "MLM companies sell their products or services through person-to-person sales. That means you’re selling directly to other people, maybe from your home, a customer’s home, or online. If you join an MLM program, the company may refer to you as an independent “distributor,” “participant,” or “contractor.” Most MLMs say you can make money two ways: by selling the MLM’s products yourself to “retail” customers who are not involved in the MLM and by recruiting new distributors and earning commissions based on what they buy and their sales to retail customers. Your recruits, the people they recruit, and so on, become your sales network, or “downline.” Most people who join legitimate MLMs make little or no money. Some of them lose money. In some cases, people believe they’ve joined a legitimate MLM, but it turns out to be an illegal pyramid scheme that steals everything they invest and leaves them deeply in debt." Please explain how this system applies to SS, I don't see it.
The Ponzi excuse just won't die either. A Ponzi scheme relies on an illusion of large rates of return to attract new investors with the operator of the scam pocketing most of the money. Again explains how this applies to SS. SS has been paying benefits for 85 years, never missed paying benefits, kept tens of millions of people out of poverty and produced a nearly $3 trillion dollar surplus. That is not a Ponzi scheme but the most effective and efficient Federal program ever created. It is self funded, wildly popular, doesn't add to national debt, hasn't borrowed money from China to finance it's operation and has low administrative costs. Apply SS way of doing business to the Pentagon and Advantage plans and we would make a difference in waste and fraud.
There is no one retirement age, there are 7 based on birth year. Clarify if you mean full retirement age or age at which one can collect early benefits Your recommended retirement age of 64 would lower the age not increase it if you are talking about future retirees. For anyone born after 1960 the full retirement age is 67 so a retirement age of 64 is a decrease in age requirement.
I recently had to contact SS to gain access to my online account, it was a four hour wait talk to an agent. The agent was capable, patient and polite. He resolved my issue in 15 minutes. An AI chatbot would run me in circles forever before sending me to an agent, only adding to my frustration and wasting my time.
The 100% payback only applies to overpayments incurred after March 27. Overpayments before that keep their original payback rate. You can request a lower repayment rate. The 100% payback is nothing new it has been used by Democrat & Republican administrations in the past, but changed to 10% during the Biden years.
Rufus says:
Whenever my local County Sheriff Deputy happens to drive by I never get nervous. I have nothing to hide so what's to get nervous about right? Can we please just relax and let this all play out? Lots of videos are available of previous administrations calling for serious government spending reforms. Now someone is finally doing more than just talking and presumably the world is coming to an end. We are in fact 36 trillion in debt. Let's find out why.
Mike says:
$7.8 trillion of the $ 36 trillion debt came in the first Trump Administration despite promises to eliminate the entire debt in 8 years. When he left office his portion of the debt was 25% and long term costs including interest were estimated at $8.4 trillion. Seems like those promises were just all talk, but this time the self proclaimed "King of Debt" means it. The world's richest person, operating in secrecy, with myriad conflicts of interest and no qualifications to analyze the data he sees is in on the game too so what could go wrong?
Estimates from the Committee for a Responsible Budget, an independent group founded by a Democrat and a Republican, that operates in public view not in secrecy, employs people with qualifications in budgetary matters and explains how it arrives at it's estimates, say that the current administration policies could cost another $5-$11 trillion and "could also lead to significant income shifting and tax avoidance, weaken the Medicare and possibly Social Security trust funds, dramatically boost interest costs, and increase the risk of a debt spiral."
Marilyn A. Spivey says:
Social Security is NOT A PONZI SCHEME. Social Security, unlike Ponzi schemes has a legally enforceable requirement to deduct money from paychecks. A Ponzi scheme has no such legal, enforceable mechanism. We need to stop spreading false information. I hope all of you who voted for a convicted felon as you president are happy with the results.
As a native son of South Africa, when white supremacy/racism was the accepted way of life, I have no doubt that Elon Musk is a fruit from that poisonous tree that would have let black dissenters like Nelson Mandella rot and die in prison.
Rick says:
I believe in doing something about the debt, and thankfully we have now a president that is going to DO SOMETHING! Status quo or worse, more uncontrolled spending as the last 4 years, is not going to save our country from demise. Clearly, few commenting understand this. It doesn't take a genius to understand what wasteful spending looks like, but we have a genius doing the work anyway. 80% of the citizens polled believe in rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. It seems only a few with their hands in the pot do not like it. Give this administration of patriots a chance, it's not like there's been others to even try to fix the problem. You can say, "I told you so, later." If it doesn't work, our country will not be any worse than with a Democrat, that's for certain. Also, deportation of criminals is the only option. We should send the bill to sleepy Joe. He and his son have plenty of Chinese money.
Daryl says:
Well, not all geniuses are mentally sound, some qualify as “evil geniuses.” And blind trust in any fallible human is never a good idea. Read an article several years ago about a local insurance conman who was arrested and sentenced, yet defended heartily by his incredulous victims as a great guy who they truly believed would never have cheated them! Denial was sparing them pain and shame. Currently seeing article after article now about loyal Trump voters whose families are being caught in the immigration nets (non-criminals) and purged by mass government firings (in spite of good performance reviews), all shocked that they voted for him and therefore should have been spared. As they storm local town halls angry and confused, the leadership consoled everyone by saying: stop holding town halls.
Rufus says:
If you subtract the 3.6 trillion that the Trump administration was forced to spend combatting the grossly over hyped "virus" we imported from China his share was 4.58 trillion. He was fighting an over hyped virus and a Democrat controlled House of Representatives his last 2 years. He doesn't have that problem now. Oh yeah and he started building a long overdue border wall. Takes money to clean up a mess especially when it's someone else's. If Trump gets 4 years with a Republican majority you'll be crying in your money.
Daryl says:
It’s all about trust. Some people take them at their word: to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, making life better for all of us. Others are less trusting and suspect their motives are only self-serving. It feels like trying to talk your best friend out of their new love interest—you’ll only alienate your bestie.
Mike says:
Rufus you might want to review your claim about Trump being "forced" to spend trillions on Covid. When the Democrats proposed a $2.2 trillion relief package Trump called it inadequate, wanting to spend more. In a tweet he said " "STIMULUS! Go big or go home!!!
Danno says:
It was stated above that SS is not a Ponzi Scheme due to it having an enforceable legal requirement. Good to know that no laws or obligations are ever broken by criminals or the government. As I stated previously, increase the initial claim age from 62 to 64 (or 65 to match the Medicare age) and that will fix most of the demographic gap we have with SS solvency. See below in-depth article outlining the history of SS and what each President from FDR to Trump 47 have done with the program.
https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/social-security/social-security-how-presidents-have-shaped-the-program
Rufus says:
Mike, Trumps first term was much different than this term in many ways not the least of which was his level of trust in the then current system. He did not trust much of the system but he was naive in one area and that was the so called health experts. He trusted that the imported virus was as dangerous at all levels as the Dr. Fauci crowd claimed it was and was willing to spend accordingly. I would bet my life President Trump would never again trust anything Fauci said and rightfully so.
Marilyn A. Spivey says:
In fact the stock market is more like a Ponzi scheme than Social Security. The stock market, like a Ponzi scheme doesn't guarantee any payback. Social Security has a formula based on how long you worked, how much you are guaranteed to receive!
Does any rational human being really believe that draconian cuts, without studying where cuts need to be in order to fund big tax breaks to billionaires, and highly profitable corporations will reduce the national debt? PLEASE!!
To all of you who voted for a chronic liar, convicted felon, womanizer, rapist, serial bankrupt, I hope you are happy living in his psychotic world!
Daryl says:
C’mon people, I think you all realize by now that DOGE is an intimidation campaign for half the country, and a game show for the other half to enjoy. And the more immature you are, the more you enjoy the optics of a chainsaw wielding nerd who finally realizes his dream as a rockstar/gladiator/TV Star. Now he gets to say “You’re Fired!” in front of an audience of billions. Imagine the ratings. Only problem is some of the half enjoying the show are starting to be being nicked by the chainsaw, oops. Still funny? Not for me.
Admin says:
We are getting a little far astray from Social Security cuts, although it does show there are 2 Americas, which do not seem to share the same fact base of point of view.
Here is the latest on Social Security cuts, this from the AP:
"Beginning March 31st, people will no longer be able to verify their identity to the SSA over the phone. Those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency’s “my Social Security” online service will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process, agency leadership told reporters Tuesday."
Many expect that people in rural areas and with disabilities or transportation challenges will find this very onerous.
Mike says:
The memo from SS predicts:
Increased demand for office appointments with an additional 75000-85,000 visitors per week.
Increased challenges for vulnerable populations.
Service Disruption due to increased field office traffic, longer call wait time, and delayed processing.
Operational Strain due to higher demand for resources, staff and system updates.
Financial Impacts due to increased costs and budget shortfalls.
Risk of disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, legal action and Congressional scrutiny.
From me:
All this at a time when SS is closing 47 offices and firing 7,000 employees. How is this a fulfillment of the promise not to touch Social Security?
Admin to be fair the post is about the effects of DOGE and Musk on Social Security and not just cuts to Social Security so are the replies unexpected and out of context with the subject being raised?
Comment from Admin: Good point Mike. Most of the comments do pertain to the Social Security cuts, we are just trying to not permit really outrageous that is mean or veering more into general politics.
Marilyn A. Spivey says:
My understanding is that if you receive benefits from social security or are applying for benefits you only need to verify your identity in person if there is a change to your direct deposit or if you are adding direct deposit.
This administration is going to make it so hard to deal with social security and most other agencies, they are hoping to turn public opinion against the agencies, not against DOGE.
How much of this nation's wealth will be eaten up in litigation to correct the many unconstitutional, illegal actions of the Trump administration? We've already seen lots of waste in actions that will have to be taken back. A big question remains: How will courts enforce their rulings?
Daryl says:
And here are some recent developments on the “meanwhile up in Maine” saga mentioned above:
“We’ve now learned that the acting head of the SSA did, in fact, punish our state for daring to question the President. This is absolutely outrageous,” Pingree said.”
“The contracts were quickly reinstated amid suspicion they’d been terminated as payback for Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) standing up to President Donald Trump in a White House meeting in February.”
“Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement that Dudek “admitted to canceling contracts out of pettiness” and is running Social Security into the ground at the direction of Trump and Elon Musk…”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chellie-pingree-leland-dudek-resign_n_67daf4b7e4b0abb74b13b13a
Maybe it’s some of that retribution promised under Administration II: The Wrath of Don
Mike says:
On March 20 a Federal judge blocked DOGE access to sensitive data and systems at Social Security. The judge also ordered DOGE to destroy personal data fro SS they have.
The conclusion from the judge:
“The American public may well applaud and support the Trump Administration’s mission to root out fraud, waste, and bloat from federal agencies, including SSA, to the extent it exists. But, by what means and methods?
The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion. It has launched a search for the proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack.
To facilitate the expedition, SSA provided members of the SSA DOGE Team with unbridled access to the personal and private data of millions of Americans, including but not
limited to Social Security numbers, medical records, mental health records, hospitalization records, drivers’ license numbers, bank and credit card information, tax information, income history, work history, birth and marriage certificates, and home and work addresses.
Yet, defendants, with so called experts on the DOGE Team, never identified or articulated even a single reason for which the DOGE Team needs unlimited access to SSA’s entire record systems, thereby exposing personal, confidential, sensitive, and private information that millions
of Americans entrusted to their government. Indeed, the government has not even attempted to explain why a more tailored, measured, titrated approach is not suitable to the task. Instead, the government simply repeats its incantation of a need to modernize the system and uncover fraud. Its method of doing so is tantamount to hitting a fly with a sledgehammer.”
The judge said “Defendants have not submitted declarations from the hired experts on the DOGE Team explaining why such unrestricted and unfettered access is necessary. They have not provided a particularized explanation of how or why virtually the entire data base of SSA is needed to conduct the investigation, or why redacted or anonymized records, at least initially, would be inadequate. The silence on this issue is deafening.” The judge noted while our personal information has been violated DOGE has not named identified it’s investigators due to privacy concerns.
Of course this ruling, which is likely to be ignored, is too little too late, the damage is done and this was the plan all along and it’s not over yet.
The entire ruling: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.48.0.pdf
Daryl says:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/21/social-security-lutnick-fraudsters/82603442007/
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested this week that only "fraudsters" would complain about missing a Social Security check - but honest people like his mother would simply live with the fact that the government didn't mail their monthly payment.
“Let's say social security didn't send out their checks this month. My mother who’s 94, she wouldn’t call and complain,” Lutnick said during an appearance on the “All-In” podcast. “She'd think something got messed up, and she'll get it next month. A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining.”
“Lutnick said people familiar with payments like Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk, who co-founded Pay-Pal, know the “easiest way to find the fraudster is to stop payments and listen.”
Mike says:
Legislation introduced by Congressman John Larson(D) CT.
The Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act – Blocks Musk from shutting down Social Security offices during the Trump administration.
The Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act – Prevents Musk and his allies from accessing and exploiting Americans’ personal data.
Resolution of Inquiry – Forces Trump to disclose any plans to cut Social Security, close offices, or privatize the program.
The Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act:
• Imposes a moratorium on Social Security field and hearing office closures until
January 21, 2029, one full day after President Trump’s second term ends
• Allows the Commissioner of Social Security to lift the moratorium after the
Trump Administration by submitting a detailed report to Congress, laying out and
justifying a process for closing, consolidating, or reducing access to field offices
• Requires the Commissioner to maintain the total number of field offices and
hearing offices that were in operation on January 20, 2025, after the moratorium
ends. In considering future office closures, the Commissioner must consider
potential transportation and communication barriers for individuals served by
the office, provide significant advance notice to the public and Members of
Congress, and ensure opportunities for public input and appeals.
The Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act would:
• Stop Elon Musk, his cronies, and political appointees from accessing sensitive
data systems at SSA.
• Codify SSA data privacy requirements into law.
• Strengthen oversight and civil penalties for any privacy and disclosure violations
of Social Security beneficiaries’ personal information
Mike says:
Speaking about Social Security today on Meet The Press Senator John Curtis of Utah said “we are not being honest with people when we look them in the eye and say we aren’t going to touch it”. He added “we don’t have to impact people in Social Security but if we don’t have a conversation about my kids, our 20 year olds, our 30 year olds that’s were the problem is” and “my kids don’t think they are going to get it”. He did refuse to call SS a Ponzi scheme.
He announced in a couple of months he will introduce a change to the program and I think his plan will confirm my long held belief of a strategy to kill of Social Security as we know it. To those getting Social Security now or in the near future there will be no cuts but to futures generations the plan disappears or is handed to Wall Street. That strategy was used to eliminate many company pension plans over the years.
The phrases broke, bankrupt, exhausted just undermine confidence in the system and I think they are part of a coordinated attack to end or hand over the system to the private financial sector. I know younger people who believe the system is doomed and why wouldn’t they, they have been hearing this doom and gloom their whole lives Repeat a big lie long enough and people will believe it, especially in an era where non stop targeting with pinpoint messaging manipulates people’s view of issues. Misinformation about being broke, corrupt, failing and unsolvable make it harder to fix the problems. Why would young people want to increase taxes on themselves if they think the program won’t benefit them? The propaganda machine has worked its magic. The DOGE lies about fraud and waste are just the latest in a long line of meritless attacks on the Social Security system, a distraction designed to keep the focus off fixing the problems we face.
One solution to solving insolvency is easy and fairly painless, with an incredible return on investment. Taxing all wages above $400,000 and increasing the payroll tax rate by 0.55% on both employees and employers solves 100% of SS solvency issues according to The Social Security Reformer Calculator at https://www.crfb.org/socialsecurityreformer/. The 0.55% cost for the average employee would be an additional $349 per year. Had those changes taken decades ago the cost would have been much lower, but part of the plan to eliminate Social Security was to delay action and make changes as painful as possible down the road. For those who think it's easy for me to tax someone else's income
I'd be willing to increase the portion of my SS benefits subject to taxes as part of the solution.
Investopedia estimates Sen. Curtis’ worth at $31.72 million so I doubt his kids, grand kids, great grand kids, etc. will have a need for Social Security. Maybe a good idea for another blog poll is how many readers of Top Retirements kids WILL need Social Security.
Mike says:
Frank Bisignano, in his testimony before the Senate Finance Committee that will confirm him as Social Security Administrator, agreed Social Security has a less that 1% improper payment rate stating :
“I think we’re going to focus on what we need to do to drive down the 1% error rate.”
Mike says:
On March 24 in a required status report to the court ruling barring DOGE from accessing "personal, confidential, private, and sensitive data from the Social Security Administration” attorneys for the agency announced they were complying with the order but noted "SSA may continue work on" projects that "SSA DOGE Team members previously led or worked on" but "without the SSA DOGE Team members’ involvement." The agency also added that "Acting Commissioner, [then-CIO Michael] Russo, and other SSA employees may continue to access SSA records for other official SSA duties.”
Yesterday the acting commissioner named in the agency response was replaced by Scott Coulter a member of the DOGE team who now as a regular employee of SS has access to the information that the court order barred him from seeing.
John k says:
I filed for my benefits in February and got my first check in march. Everything electronic. No phone calls, no office visit. Pretty efficient! If you have all your info it’s a breeze!
Daryl says:
“The chaotic situation around DOGE has raised concerns that federal programs such as Social Security that many Americans rely on could be impacted. Those fears were amplified when the Washington Post reported this week that the Social Security system is "engulfed in crisis." The report said the Social Security Administration WEBSITE CRASHED FOUR TIMES IN 10 DAYS THIS MONTH.”
Oh oh. So if it happens to you, and you can’t get through by phone, and your local office is gone, don’t complain, because Musk said:
“his experience is that those who complain "the loudest and with the most amount of fake righteous indignation" are "fraudsters."
So much for customer service.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/27/this-is-a-revolution-takeaways-from-elon-muskdoge-interview/82697132007/
Mike says:
SS announced some of the earlier in person requirements are being relaxed:
https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-updates-recently-announced-identity-proofing-requirements/?link_id=1&can_id=ab2490a3803606c27c78f56536736097&source=email-march-21-2025-friday-alert-retiree-news-7&email_referrer=email_2675091&email_subject=march-28-2025-friday-alert-retiree-news
Mike says:
New reporting says DOGE wants to update the current SS computer system and plans on taking only a few months to do it. https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/ A 2017 report from SS said it would take 5 years and $677 million investment to modernize the system. Any IT pros have an opinion on how a few month rollout would work?
In an interview Musk said his work will allow “legitimate recipients” of Social Security to “receive more money.”adding his claims “will be proven out to be true,” saying “let the record show that I said this.” He did not explain how this would work.
Admin says:
The Social Security acting commissioner Leland Dudek is facing calls to resign or be removed in the wake of his actions in Maine. Now rescinded, Dudek was going to require new parents to register their babies at Social Security offices, instead of the long-standing practice allowing that to take place at birthing centers. Critics are calling it "unnecessary and punitive". Dudek apparently took the action to support Trump's recent spat with Maine Governor.
Mike says:
Disability advocates are suing to stop the cuts to SS services. A portion of their press release:
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 2, 2025): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Deaf Equality, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and the Massachusetts Senior Action Council, along with individual plaintiffs, and co-counsel Brown Goldstein & Levy LLP and Justice in Aging filed a federal lawsuit today against the Social Security Administration (SSA), the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek, DOGE Acting Administrator Amy Gleason, and Elon Musk in his de facto role as head of DOGE. The lawsuit alleges that recent mass staffing reductions, policies requiring individuals to seek services in person at field offices, and the elimination of critical offices within the SSA unlawfully harm Americans with disabilities and older adults who rely on Social Security services.
Filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the complaint seeks emergency declaratory and injunctive relief to halt the dismantling of the SSA’s infrastructure, including the abrupt closures of the Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (OCREO) and the Office of Transformation (OT), and the termination of 7,000 SSA employees.
“The Social Security Administration is being gutted without regard to existing law, without transparency, and without any obvious plan as to how services will be provided to applicants and beneficiaries going forward,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “Many blind Americans rely on Social Security benefits for their survival and for the support of their families. Given the technology and transportation challenges many of us face, the dramatic reduction in force and the new so-called anti-fraud requirements will cause significant hardship or deny access to benefits altogether. In the most severe cases, these cuts could endanger people’s very lives. The National Federation of the Blind supports greater government efficiency and recognizes that much can be done to improve the SSA, but careful planning and collaboration with blind Americans and other disability advocates are the right ways to handle reform.”
https://justiceinaging.org/ssa-doge-lawsuit/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7d33f8a1-e1a3-4d42-a2a2-be2563523ef1
Mike says:
The SSA press office confirmed to Popular Information that under the revised policy, the "SSA will allow all claim types to be completed over the telephone." Only if the information provided over the phone has "fraud risk indicators" will a claimant be required to make an in-person appointment. The SSA estimates that only 70,000 of the 4.5 million people who file teleapplications annually will be unable to complete their claim over the phone.
https://popular.info/p/update-after-backlash-social-security?publication_id=1664&post_id=160978555&isFreemail=true&r=6x3jh&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Mike says:
DOGE has drastically lowered the amount it promised to save the taxpayer from $1 trillion to $150 billion in fiscal year 2026. This despite Musk recently saying he was on pace to eliminate $1 trillion of Federal spending by the end of May. $150 billion is just 15% of what he claimed he would save, 7.5% of the 2024 campaign promise of a $2 trillion savings, one-fiftieth of Federal government spending last year and less than half a percent of the $36 trillion national debt. Various reports show the claimed $150 billion are dubious, one analysis shows only $12.6 billion in verifiable cuts.
During all the uproar about 150 year olds getting SS was there ever a plan announced how the improper payments were going to be recovered or prevented in the future, how cutting the SS workforce and closing offices would eliminate fraud or why Trump allowed improper payments in his first administration ? Nope, nope, and nope. The uproar was just more fuel to keep the perpetual outrage machine running, another distraction to divert attention from the looming cuts that benefit tens of millions of Americans while giving another tax cut for the rich. Mission accomplished!
Guess we won’t be seeing the extra SS benefits Musk promised and forget the $5000 rebate taxpayers were promised as result of trillions in savings. Those promises seem to be worth as much as a degree from Trump University. New merchandise slogan suggestion for Trump’s offshore and likely tariff exempt manufacturing empire: Promises Made Promises Broken.
DOGE is not about cutting wasteful spending it is about collecting data as shown by a whistler blower complaint from the National Labor Relation Board. What possible savings could DOGE find at the NLRB? Within 15 minutes of DOGE gaining access to the NLRB database 10 gigabytes of information was leaving the systems servers. Attempts from a Russian IP address with the correct login credentials were blocked. The man filing the complaint had a threatening note taped to his door. The note contained personal information and drone pictures of him walking his dog. Musk has on ongoing lawsuit against the NLRB claiming it is unconstitutional and the NLRB is investigating complaints by workers at his companies. Could the intentions be anymore obvious?
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5355896/doge-nlrb-elon-musk-spacex-security
Daryl says:
Mike, the thing that scares the crap out of me is now that the geek creeps have their fingers in all the databases, you can randomly be declared dead in the social security database, and life as you know it is over. They’ve weaponized the system. And who ya gonna call when that happens.
Daryl says:
And we already know what happens when something is done in error. Nothing.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-administration-overrode-social-security-staff-to-list-immigrants-as-dead/ar-AA1CN7sW
Virginia says:
Agree 100% WE ARE DOOMED & Goodbye USA as we know it ??
UncleAL says:
...huh ? you folks should change the name of this site to "Mike says"....never saw so much bloviating....
Daryl says:
Well, you don’t have to slog through if it’s too long, filled with big words and those other confusing things like facts and statistics. Lots of other bloviating blogs out there and on TV offering their own “alternative” facts.
UncleAL says:
...looks like Mike has some competition from Daryl....maybe this blog should be titles "The Mike & Daryl, Daryl, & Daryl Show"...
Daryl says:
You’re right, UncleAl, people are aware of what’s happing, I don’t need to pound it in. Everybody is exhausted, including me.
Happy Easter from Daryl, Daryl, and my brother Daryl.
Mike says:
Uncle Al
Thank you for your concise, succinct, brief, pithy, blunt, compendious and insightful edification on my bloviation but you failed to expound on the mendacity of my April 18 comments, remarks, observations and declarations. Feel free to use the vernacular when extolling the salient merits of the DOGE program and the voluminous benefits it has lavished on the multitude vis a vis Social Security. I expect your comments will be discerning, wise, perceptive, prudent, sagacious, and sapient. Shun double entendres, prurient jocosity, and pestiferous profanity, obscurant or apparent. I look forward to the transference of information, your interpretations and abstractions and expect them to be epigrammatic, crisp, laconic, terse aphoristic and sans braggadocio.
In promulgating your esoteric cogitations, or articulating your sentimentalities and amicable, philosophical or psychological observations, beware of platitudinous ponderosity. Let your conversational communications possess a clarified conciseness, a compacted comprehensiveness, coalescent consistency, and a concatenated cogency. Eschew all conglomerations of flatulent garrulity, jejune babblement and asinine affectation. Let your extemporaneous descantings and premeditated expatiations have intelligibility and veracious vivacity, without rhodomontade or thrasonical bombast. Sedulously avoid all polysyllabic profundity, pompous prolixity, psittaceous vacuity, ventriloquial verbosity, and vaniloquent vapidity.
I will endeavor to keep my postings form being, aeolistic, grandiloquent, longiloquent, flosculent or exuding pleionosis. I will strive not to be pompous, effected, lofty, grandiose, uppish or altioquent. I will refrain from kompology, nosism and lexiphanic phraseology while restraining my cockalorum. I will use upmost restraint to throttle my verbosity, prattle, turgidity, gibberish, rhetoric, drivel, babble, bombast, bluster, magniloquence, rodomontade and fanfaronade. Crisp articulation not verbosity will be my motto henceforth. Quotes from the POTUS will be my guide, my inspiration, my muse, my Bosco Pertwee, “I know words, I have the best words. I have the best.” “I’m the best. I mean, I do this stuff better than anybody.” “I’m intelligent. Some people would say I’m very, very, very intelligent.”