News Details

DOGE worsened an existing staffing low at Social Security. Beneficiaries worry that long wait times and impending insolvency will affect their checks. The agency said new technology is improving customer service. Social Security has been through the wringer. With a federal fund teetering on insolvency, a staffing crisis worsened by DOGE cost-cutting, and widespread employee burnout, the US' largest social safety net program is in a tough spot. The 74 million Americans who rely on monthly checks are caught in the middle, wondering what it all means for their future livelihoods. "Everything is just climbing so dramatically that I think seniors are going to be in some real trouble in the future," retiree Shelley Janek told Business Insider last year. She lives on a tight budget with roughly $2,000 in monthly Social Security income. "I think there are a lot of people in my situation." DOGE worsened an existing SSA staffing issue. The Department of Government Efficiency may be dead, but the Social Security Administration is still reeling from budget cuts. Prior to Trump and de-facto head Elon Musk's broad axing of the federal workforce, the SSA had hit a 50-year staffing low. DOGE reduced the size of the agency by about 7,000 workers—about 12% of the workforce—last spring, with more retiring or quitting since. It left thousands of employees at field offices, customer service phone lines, and administrative roles stretched thin alongside rising demand from America's aging population. Baby boomers are the largest cohort to hit retirement age simultaneously, with most claiming benefits in their 60s. Most remaining SSA employees described feeling overwhelmed, working long hours, skipping breaks, and being confused about policy changes. "Employees walking around on eggshells, thinking, 'How much longer until I break? How much longer until I can't handle it anymore?" field office worker and union leader Edwin Osorio said last summer. Others, like field office worker and union leader Jill Hornick, said, "We're at the tip of the iceberg. This is just going to get worse and worse and worse," and a seasoned customer service representative said, "A loss of seven to eight thousand employees is a huge crush." From the beneficiary perspective, the pre-DOGE staffing shortage meant long customer service wait times. The agency has reassigned hundreds of local field office employees to national phone lines to meet demand, though many redirected staff members are now doing a different job than they were trained to do. The SSA stopped releasing real-time wait time data last summer and has not released updated 2026 averages. A spokesperson for the SSA said that Commissioner Frank Bisignano has pledged to have the right level of staffing to ensure SSA operates at peak efficiency, meets customers where they want to be served, and delivers best-in-class customer service. The average answer speed was eight minutes in February 2026, down from 26 minutes in February 2025. The agency also said that the average claim processing time is improving and the beneficiary online portal is now available 24/7. Senator Elizabeth Warren, along with several Democratic lawmakers, sent a letter to Bisignano requesting details on how employee reassignments to the 1-800 number have affected claims processing and wait times. "Your reassigned employees are being moved with barely any training, forcing them to go from more technical positions to customer-facing roles with only days' notice," the letter reads. Social Security could reach insolvency by 2032. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Social Security retirement trust fund will be insolvent by 2032, leading to major benefit cuts without Congressional action. Federal spending on Social Security and healthcare grows to a combined $5.9 trillion by 2036. Recent tax cuts under the Trump administration bring relief to beneficiaries but jeopardize future Social Security funding. Taxpayers 65 and older can claim up to $6,000 in addition to their normal standard deduction through 2028, accelerating insolvency. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities also reported that income tax cuts for wealthier Americans will impact Social Security revenue over time, as will policies discouraging immigrant workers, since both sets of taxes contribute to the fund. One proposal suggests capping Social Security income at $100,000 for high-earning couples and $50,000 for individuals, which researchers say would save billions and help close the solvency gap. Payment schedules and criteria remain the same. DOGE and government policy changes have affected the SSA's customer service system, but beneficiaries can still expect to receive their monthly checks on a predictable schedule. Dates vary by birthdate. To claim benefits, Americans must be at least 62 years old. If people wait until full retirement age in their late 60s, they can claim a larger monthly check. Full benefits are available at age 70, and beneficiaries can qualify for Medicare at age 65. At the height of DOGE last spring, Osorio explained why he stayed at the SSA: "People who are downtrodden, people who are aged, people who just became recently disabled or widowed—they come here because we're the last stop. We're the salvation."