Social Security workers warn of long delays over understaffing
Staff cuts at the Social Security Administration have put the agency under strain, according to reports. That means people applying for benefits or who need other SSA help might face long delays.
"An analysis of union workforce data shared exclusively with Axios from the Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of labor groups, finds that field offices were down 78 union employees – nearly 5% of staff in – Florida as of March 2025, compared with the prior year," said a report this week from Axios.
In June, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said that the administration of President Donald Trump "indiscriminately" pushed out 7,000 workers to "hit an arbitrary staffing reduction target," calling it the "largest staffing cut in SSA's history." According to a June 30 press release from the American Federation of Government Employees, "one staff member now serves 1,480 beneficiaries, which is over three times as many as in 1967."
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also mentioned the influence of the Department of Government Efficiency, formerly led by multibillionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk: "Elon Musk's departure from government and a change in Trump-appointed leadership at SSA will not undo the harm to the public caused by the loss of experienced employees." In the wake of DOGE and the Trump administration's push to get workers to resign, Audacy reported earlier this month that more than 150,000 federal employees have been getting paid not to work this year.
Since Trump was elected last November, there have been concerns about the future of SSA under his administration, and concerns continued with the formation of DOGE. Even before he was elected, there have been concerns about the continued solvency of SSA funds, with some arguing that the nation needs to cut other spending in order to make sure the program can continue. Even so, the "One Big Beautiful Bill" recently passed will speed up depletion of the SSA funds, according to the agency's chief actuary.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick downplayed the importance of Social Security checks earlier this year, though research shows that around 67 million people in the nation collect those checks (one in every five people). Those checks keep millions out of poverty, including an estimated 1.4 million children as of 2022. This March, the Trump Administration also made a proposal that could force thousands of Social Security recipients to show up in-person to receive their benefits.
Workers inside the SSA cited by Axios said that they are "buckling under the strain of understaffing," and the outlet said things have been put under more stress due to the Trump initiatives. According to Axios, attrition and understaffing were issues at SSA even before the cuts.
In a Monday press release, the SSA revealed that it added 13 new conditions to the agency's Compassionate Allowances (CAL) list, bringing the list total to 300. So far, more than "1.1 million people with severe disabilities have been approved through this accelerated disability process that is fully policy-compliant," said the SSA.
CNBC also reported this week that Social Security beneficiaries might see a 2.7% cost-of-living adjustment in 2026, based on the latest government inflation data. That's more than the 2.5% COLA adjustment from this year.
