Overview

• The Social Security Administration is cutting at least 7,000 staff and closing six regional offices, straining its ability to deliver benefits to over 73 million Americans.
• A rushed IT modernization effort, led by DOGE, aims to migrate SSA systems off COBOL programming within months, raising concerns of system failures and missed payments.
• Experts warn that voluntary departures and retirements of critical technical staff are jeopardizing the agency’s ability to address glitches and maintain operations.
• Customer service is deteriorating sharply, with longer wait times, overwhelmed phone lines, and increased delays in processing benefits claims, particularly for people with disabilities.
• Critics argue the changes could undermine Social Security’s mission, while the administration defends them as necessary for efficiency and fraud prevention.