Overview

• Approximately four million living Social Security recipients have been erroneously declared dead due to a rushed data cleanup by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
• Affected individuals face frozen bank accounts, halted benefits, and flagged identification, requiring in-person verification to restore their financial status.
• The Social Security Administration has suffered significant operational strain, with 7,000 staff cuts and numerous office closures leading to longer wait times and website outages.
• Former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley has warned of an imminent disruption to benefit payments for over 70 million Americans due to the system's instability.
• Critics argue that DOGE’s aggressive reforms, led by Elon Musk, are undermining the program’s core mission, with allegations of targeting immigrants and promoting misleading fraud claims.