Social Security System Strained: Staff Cuts and Policy Shifts Lead to Delays and Frustration

The Social Security Administration (SSA), a vital agency providing benefits to approximately 73 million Americans annually, is facing significant challenges, resulting in widespread delays and increased frustration for those seeking assistance. Long wait times, staff shortages, and policy changes have created a perfect storm, impacting individuals across the nation.

Sarah Anderson, a 68-year-old, anticipated potential shifts with the incoming Trump administration and proactively applied for Social Security benefits in early January. However, her application became ensnared in the growing backlog. After waiting for over a month and a half, she repeatedly attempted to contact the SSA’s 1-800 number, enduring hours of hold time without ever reaching a live representative.

Anderson’s experience is emblematic of a broader trend. The SSA already faced historically low staffing levels when President Trump took office. The situation was further exacerbated by staff reductions implemented during the administration’s efforts to downsize the government. An additional 3,000 employees accepted buyout offers, further depleting the agency’s workforce of 57,000. New identification requirements and a proposed policy to limit phone support added to the mounting difficulties.

Jessica LaPointe, the union council president for AFGE council 220, representing Social Security workers, paints a concerning picture of the agency’s current state. "There are profound delays for anyone trying to connect with the agency," she stated. "Our lobbies are flooded. Walk-ins are no longer welcome, and at many field offices, people have to join a wait list even to make an appointment."

According to LaPointe, individuals are being turned away and instructed to return only when they have a scheduled appointment. However, with fully booked calendars, it remains uncertain when they will be able to receive assistance. LaPointe fears these delays will erode public trust in an agency that "touches every American life from cradle to grave."

Adding to the concern, agency leaders have expressed their intention to eliminate at least 7,000 more positions.

In response to inquiries about customer service delays and long wait times, an SSA spokesperson provided a statement from Acting Commissioner of Social Security Lee Dudek. Dudek attributed the problems to the Biden administration’s policies, citing the agency’s prior work-from-home policy and "advancing radical DEI and gender ideology over improving service for all Americans." He claimed these factors resulted in "long wait times for customer service, unconscionable delays for benefit decisions, and insufficient stewardship of Americans’ hard-earned benefits."

Dudek asserted that under President Trump’s leadership, the SSA is committed to providing the high-quality service and stewardship that the American people expect. SSA data indicates that hold times on the 1-800 number averaged one hour under the Biden administration and have since increased to 90 minutes per call. USA TODAY’s own attempts to contact the 1-800 number resulted in wait times ranging from 90 to 150 minutes, with several calls disconnecting before reaching a live person.

The buyouts have impacted both the main office, located outside Baltimore, and local field offices across the country. SSA data reveals that over 25% of employees in 40 field offices accepted buyout offers. The most severely affected field offices include Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc., which lost 58% of its staff, Nevada, Mo., which lost 57%, Alexandria, Minn., which lost 50%, and Clinton, S.C., which lost 42%.

A second round of buyouts was offered to regional office employees working in operations and the office of Disability Adjudication with employees given less than 48 hours to accept the offer.

LaPointe criticized the buyout process, stating that it was not based on the specific needs of each office, leaving some locations struggling to maintain essential services. She argued that the decision to cut 7,000 employees in the name of efficiency has, in fact, created significant inefficiencies within the SSA.

Confusion surrounding new identification requirements has also contributed to long lines at field offices. LaPointe explained that employees were not informed of the changes before the public, leaving them unprepared for the influx of inquiries. The changes, announced in late March, require applicants and beneficiaries who cannot access their "My Social Security" account online to provide proof of identity in person. Dudek estimated that this requirement would lead to an additional 75,000 to 85,000 Americans visiting Social Security offices each week.

For two weeks in March, internal systems and parts of the "My Social Security" website experienced repeated crashes due to the surge in traffic from users logging in and employees accessing files. LaPointe described the situation as "stressful, chaotic, confusing, completely self-inflicted, preventable, and avoidable."

Adding to the uncertainty, DOGE included over 47 of Social Security’s 1,200 field office locations among nearly 800 federal real estate leases slated for cancellation. While the SSA has emphasized that there is no active plan to close field offices, a draft plan for service delivery, obtained by Government Executive, includes "field office consolidation" as a goal for the coming year.

The agency has already closed six of its ten regional offices, which handle more complex cases and appeals and provide management oversight for field offices. LaPointe expressed concern that the cuts have "gutted our system staff" and that "our systems are collapsing." She noted that the lack of decision-makers in the reduced regional offices has caused seemingly minor issues to escalate into major problems. "We have offices that are having to drive to surrounding offices to see if they have any printer paper," she explained. "They can’t print out benefit determinations for the American people because they ran out of paper."

Greg Bachinski, who retired from the Greenfield, Wisc. office after 50 years with the agency, believes the full impact of the buyouts will become apparent in the coming months. He noted that the SSA has shrunk from 70,000 to 57,000 employees over the past decade, and losing an additional 7,000 in a short period will be noticeable. "There’s been a general decline in the number of people handling the work, and a gigantic increase in the number of people who need to be taken care of, and that’s been going on for years," he said. The recent staff cuts are likely to accelerate this decline.

Bachinski explained that the requirement for in-person meetings has led to the creation of appointment waitlists. "If you came in today, you wouldn’t get an appointment because they can’t make appointments far enough in the future," he said. "So, you would be told, ‘Okay, you’re on the list,’ so to speak, ‘and then we’ll contact you when appointments are open,’ and then notify you of your appointment date. So it may be quite a bit into the future."

As staff members depart, work and phone calls are being rerouted from office to office, he said. As a result, a recipient may call their local office but end up speaking with someone on the other side of the state. This adds to the workload because the employee is less familiar with the case and may have to wait for the local office to transmit documents and information. Bachinski described this system as "cumbersome" and "wasteful."

Frustrated by her inability to reach anyone by phone, Sarah Anderson visited her local Social Security office in Bellevue, Wash., only to be turned away by security, who informed her that she needed an appointment to enter. The security officer directed her to the same 1-800 number. At the Seattle office, Anderson was permitted to take a number and wait in the crowded lobby to make an appointment. She observed that the people around her were desperate. Some appeared homeless, while others told the security guard that they had visited multiple times that week to make an appointment, but their number was never called. Moved by their plight, Anderson decided to leave, feeling that she should not take resources away from those in greater need. Unexpectedly, she received a check in March, despite never having spoken to a live person.

In Chandler, Arizona, Louisa Pedraza, a 64-year-old former 9-11 call center operator, is still awaiting approval for the disability benefits she applied for last year. She relies on the money to help offset the $300-a-month increase in her health insurance costs. Pedraza received a letter in early January stating that her benefits should be approved within 30 days. She anticipated receiving her check by February. However, she says that "after the inauguration, everything went silent."

According to the SSA’s automated 1-800 system, the average wait time for disability benefit approval is 200 to 230 days, which is consistent with the wait times during the Biden administration. Pedraza dreads the prospect of waiting hours on the phone to speak with a real person. Her disability, which affects her ankles and feet, makes it difficult for her to wait in a lobby for an extended period. She repeatedly checks the website, hoping to see a change in the status of her application. "I have no confidence that I know this is coming, or that this is going to resolve," she lamented.