The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing major problems in delivering services, and many are blaming staffing cuts made during former President Donald Trump’s time in office. A new report suggests that these past decisions are now creating a “deep hole” that the agency is struggling to get out of.
What’s Happening Inside the SSA?
Due to fewer staff members, the SSA has started moving many of its workers to answer calls on the agency’s national 800-number helpline. About 4% of frontline workers have been temporarily shifted to handle these calls, hoping to reduce wait times.
While the agency claims this change has helped with phone delays, many experts say it is only making things worse in the long run. With fewer workers left in field offices and other support roles, other services are falling behind.
SSA Workers Say They’re Overwhelmed
Several SSA employees told NPR that their workload has become unbearable. Nicole Morio, who works in a field office in Staten Island, said staff are doing the work of 10 to 15 people because of these cuts.
Jessica LaPointe, a worker at an SSA office in Madison, Wisconsin, and union leader representing 25,000 SSA workers, also warned that the stress is causing people to quit. She said many employees who refused to take early retirement offers are now leaving to protect their mental health.
“We have an agency not listening to the workers,” LaPointe added. “There’s no sign that things are getting better.”
Lack of Transparency and Performance Tracking
The SSA recently removed important live service data from its website, making it harder for the public to see how well or poorly the agency is performing. Critics argue that without transparency, it’s difficult to understand how much the changes are truly helping—or hurting.
Thousands of Workers Already Gone
Since March, around 4,600 employees have left the agency. The Trump administration had aimed to cut the SSA workforce by 7,000 employees, which would be a 12% reduction since the start of the year.
Kathleen Romig, a former SSA official and policy expert, said the agency is now “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic,” meaning it’s trying to fix a sinking situation by simply moving people around instead of solving the real problem—staff shortages.
Is This a Bigger Political Strategy?
Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, believes these staffing cuts are not an accident. In a recent article, he argued that some Republican leaders want to break Social Security on purpose so they can push for privatization.
“Social Security is the most popular and effective government program,” Lawson wrote. “They hate it most of all—and are doing everything they can to destroy it.”
The Social Security Administration is struggling with long delays, overworked staff, and reduced service quality—problems that many trace back to staff cuts made during the Trump era. While phone call wait times may have improved, the overall service has declined. Critics say this is not just bad planning but part of a larger political effort to weaken Social Security. Until staff numbers are restored and frontline workers are heard, it’s unlikely that the situation will improve.
