US social security in crisis as Musk-led cuts, staffing woes and tech failures threaten services

The US Social Security Administration, responsible for delivering $1.5 trillion in annual benefits to 73 million Americans, is spiralling into crisis amid staffing cuts, technological breakdowns, and sweeping internal upheaval driven by a cost-cutting campaign led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Washington Post reported.

Four website crashes in 10 days this month left millions locked out of their online accounts, while office phone lines are overwhelmed and field offices are flooded with walk-ins. Frontline staff say they are overworked and under-equipped — some without even pens or paper due to a spending freeze that has limited federal credit cards to a $1 threshold.

Chaos at the top, collapse on the ground
Since taking over in February, acting commissioner Leland Dudek — a former mid-level analyst elevated after secretly feeding data to Musk’s team — has pushed out more than 12 percent of the agency’s 57,000 staff and shuttered or consolidated several key offices, including those for civil rights and modernisation.

His actions, guided by Musk’s data team operating out of a guarded, curtain-draped room in Maryland, have upended operations. Field offices are jammed, and phone wait times regularly exceed three hours. Call centres have lost experienced staff amid low pay and return-to-office mandates, while a critical payment systems team in Baltimore is nearing collapse due to retirements and resignations.

Legal immigrants, retirees hardest hit
New DOGE-mandated rules are worsening the situation. Immigrants and naturalized citizens must now apply for Social Security cards in person, ending a longstanding mail-based system. Phone-based direct deposit and identity verification have been cut, forcing those without internet access to wait in long lines at field offices — a change officials admit will “significantly impact” service.

Legal advocates for the elderly and disabled report skyrocketing calls from clients who are locked out of services or confused by changing rules. In Portland, Oregon, one nonprofit said local offices have stopped answering phones and now ask for information to be sent by fax.

Lawmakers and workers raise alarm
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) warned of “the destruction of the agency from the inside out,” citing desperate calls from elderly constituents. AARP said it has received more than 2,000 calls per week since February from Americans worried about their benefits.

Employees say they are untrained on the new rules and overwhelmed. “We used to be efficient,” one field staffer said. “Now there’s no time to breathe.” Some offices are seeing “exponential growth” in foot traffic, with retirees arriving in person after being unable to reach anyone by phone.

Technology and morale failures mount
A phone modernization project begun under Trump and shifted to Amazon Web Services during Biden’s term remains incomplete. With DOGE cancelling contracts and slashing tech teams, critical system updates are now at risk of missing deadlines — which could delay or disrupt benefit payments.

Musk’s focus on rooting out fraud — particularly the debunked claim that millions of dead people receive benefits — has overshadowed core agency functions. Dudek has acknowledged that “phone service sucks” and says all options are on the table, including outsourcing call centres.

Meanwhile, scammers are exploiting the confusion, with elderly recipients receiving fake emails asking them to verify their identity to keep benefits.

Confirmation hearing looms as confidence plummets
Trump’s pick to permanently lead the agency, Wall Street executive Frank Bisignano, faces Senate scrutiny this week. But with DOGE effectively running operations, current and former officials warn that the agency is being hollowed out to justify eventual privatization.

“They’re creating a fire to require them to come and put it out,” said a former senior official.