Advocacy groups warn DOGE could ‘decimate’ Social Security. Here’s what we know so far.

In recent weeks, the Social Security Administration has announced a series of changes, including staffing cuts, regional office closures and new identify proofing procedures, which some advocacy groups and congressional Democrats say will hinder Americans from accessing their benefits.

The slash in resources is part of a wider effort by Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” to cut costs throughout the federal government by making major cuts at various agencies.

“I’m connecting the dots … (and) they’re not only trying to dismantle the federal government, they’re trying to decimate the agency to make it virtually impossible to access benefits,” said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group focused on protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

“I’ve been working on this program for 50 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Altman added.

A White House spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the president "is moving quickly to fulfill his promise of making the federal government more efficient. He has promised to protect Social Security, and every recipient will continue to receive their benefits.”

On March 27, Fox News host Bret Baier conducted an interview with Musk and several members of the DOGE team — the first public interview for most of the team — which included a discussion on the changes at the Social Security Administration.

“The two improvements that we’re trying to make to Social Security are helping people that legitimately get benefits — protect them from fraud that they experience every day, on a routine basis — and also make the experience better,” said Aram Moghaddassi, a DOGE engineer, in the interview, which the White House rapid response team posted a video clip of on X.

When asked for comment, the SSA press office pointed to several of its recent news releases, and a few lines, in particular, from a March 18 release.

“SSA recently required nearly all agency employees, including frontline employees in all offices throughout the country, to work in the office five days a week,” the release states. “This change ensures maximum staffing is available to support the stronger in-person identity proofing requirement.”

“The agency will continue to monitor and, if necessary, make adjustments, to ensure it pays the right person the right amount at the right time while safeguarding the benefits and programs it administers,” the news release continues.

Here’s a breakdown of the agency’s recently announced changes and how they could impact the future of the program.

On Feb. 28, the SSA announced plans to reduce staff to 50,000 employees, down from 57,000. That same day, the agency said it would cut the number of regional offices to four, down from 10, “which is no longer sustainable,” according to an agency news release.

“These steps prioritize customer service by streamlining redundant layers of management, reducing non-mission critical work, and potential reassignment of employees to customer service positions,” the news release said.

However, a report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research and policy institute, contends that those changes, among others led by DOGE, will seriously affect the agency’s operations, thereby impacting Social Security beneficiaries.

“Given that the majority of SSA employees serve the public directly, large cuts in SSA staff will unavoidably have a significant impact on the public,” the report states, showing that more than 42,000 employees at the agency work in operations.

For example, a beneficiary who faces issues with a payment would see the impacts of such changes, as “with fewer front-line staff available, she would have more trouble getting someone on the phone to explain what was happening with a delayed payment,” the report said.

“To the extent the problem is especially complex, the departure of the most experienced staff — and the regional headquarters staff who often resolve the most difficult cases — might make it particularly difficult to get help,” the report added.

Several Senate Democrats have made a similar argument, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., stating at a hearing on March 25, "if you don’t have the staff, if you don’t answer the phones … people don’t get what they’re legally entitled to,” referencing Social Security benefits.

The SSA clarified in a March 27 news release that it was not permanently closing any field offices, which differ from regional offices. Regional offices serve as a local headquarters "responsible for oversight and support of the administration of all Social Security programs in field offices, teleservice and processing centers, and state disability determination services" in their region, according to the SSA website. Field offices are where beneficiaries go for addressing their needs in person.

The Social Security Administration announced March 18 that it would be rolling out new identify proofing procedures, requiring beneficiaries to verify their identity in person if they cannot use the agency’s online “my Social Security” service for benefit claims or direct deposit changes. The changes were set to take effect March 31.

Advocacy groups spoke out against the announcement, contending that requiring seniors to either use the internet or go to an office in person would create more burdens for a population that’s often less tech-savvy or may have mobility issues impacting transportation.

On March 26, the agency announced updates to the procedures, citing feedback from Congress, advocates and customers.

In addition to pushing the effective date to April 14, the SSA changed the policy so that those applying for Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare or Supplemental Security Income who cannot verify their identity online would be able to do so over the phone, rather than in person.

The requirement to visit an office for identity verification if unable to use the online service will only apply to those applying for Retirement, Survivors, or Auxiliary (Spouse or Child) benefits, the agency said, with some exceptions.

“The agency will not enforce these requirements in extreme dire-need situations, such as terminal cases or prisoner pre-release scenarios,” the news release said. “SSA is currently developing a process that will require documentation and management approval to bypass the policy in such dire-need cases.”

However, Social Security Works’ Altman said the updates are only “creating more chaos.”

Wait times for Social Security’s 800 number are going up, because many are confused by the new identity proofing procedures, Altman’s heard. As a result, “scams are going through the roof,” she said, because scammers are taking advantage of the confusion.

Altman added that she doesn’t understand the agency’s two-week extension of the procedures’ effective date, because “if it's to educate the public and train the staff, you need a lot more time than two weeks.”

On March 26, along with updating its identity proofing procedures, SSA also created a new webpage called “What to Know about Proving Your Identity,” which lists of a series of questions and answers on the new procedures.

Lee Dudek, a former manager at SSA’s antifraud office, is currently serving as the Social Security Administration’s acting commissioner; he took over after Michelle King stepped down from her position as the acting head of the agency on Feb. 16.

King left after refusing to grant DOGE access to the agency’s sensitive data, according to multiple reports. A federal judge in Maryland blocked such access in a 14-day restraining order issued March 20.

Altman said that “it’s unusual” for the acting head of an agency, like Dudek, to put major changes into place, contending, “there's no reason they should be doing all this in such a rush.”

President Donald Trump has nominated Frank Bisignano, chair of the board and CEO at Fiserv, to serve as the commissioner of the agency, but he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.

When Bisignano testified at a Senate Finance Committee hearing March 25, many Democrats pressed him on how he would handle Musk and DOGE’s involvement at the SSA.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., cited whistleblower claims that Bisignano was involved in “several key DOGE hires at the agency,” though the Fiserv CEO denied having contact with Dudek or hiring any DOGE officials “in the middle of the night,” when asked by the senator.

Relatedly, Wyden asked if Bisignano would block DOGE from accessing the personally identifiable information, or PII, contained in the agency’s data. “I think it’s of the upmost importance for PII to be protected, and yes, I will ensure it’s protected,” Bisignano replied.

However, in a February CNBC interview, Bisignano said he’s “fundamentally a DOGE person” and reiterated his support for the Musk-led initiative at the hearing.

“I'm happy to work with anybody who can help us, and I believe that I'm fundamentally about efficiency myself,” he said when asked about his previous comments on DOGE.

In separate statements released March 25, both Altman and Richard Fiesta, Alliance for Retired Americans’ executive director, urged senators to vote no on Bisignano’s confirmation.

“Retirees who tuned into Frank Bisignano’s confirmation hearing hoping to hear that he planned on halting the chaos and destruction of the Social Security Administration caused by Elon Musk’s DOGE team were left disappointed,” Fiesta said in his statement.

The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to consider advancing Bisignano’s confirmation on April 1.