The U.S. Social Security Administration is considering dramatically curtailing the phone services that 73 million retired and disabled Americans rely on to apply for and access their earned government benefits, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The agency, under pressure from the U.S. DOGE Service team, is considering a proposal to end telephone service for claims processing and direct-deposit bank account transactions, and instead direct elderly and disabled people to the internet and in-person field offices, according to the Washington Post.
Across-the-board cuts at the Social Security Administration are prompting questions about how the benefits of millions of recipients may be affected.
Among the potential changes are layoffs for more than 10% of the agency’s workforce and the closure of dozens of offices throughout the U.S. It's all part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through the Department of Government Efficiency, inspired by President Donald Trump’s adviser Elon Musk.
Some of the public-facing locations listed for closure were already slated to be shuttered due to lack of use. The SSA says work in other non-public sites up for closure is being consolidated.
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