Cuts to the Social Security Administration's workforce, along with increased mandates, are leading to chaos for recipients as confirmation hearings for financial services executive Frank Bisignano to become the agency's permanent commissioner are set to begin Tuesday in the Senate.
"What's going on is the destruction of the agency from the inside out, and it's accelerating," according to Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, reports The Washington Post. "I have people approaching me all the time in their 70s and 80s, and they're beside themselves. They don't know what's coming."
Urgent: Increase Your SS Payment By $188,170 Before Time Runs Out... See Here
The nation's oldest population lives in Maine, and King said that what's going on with Social Security is "unconscionable."
Already this month, the Social Security Administration's website crashed four times in 10 days, leaving millions of recipients unable to check their online accounts at a time when phone wait times are stretching out for hours because employees have been let go to meet up with cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team.
According to internal documents, as well as current and former agency officials and employees, and customers, Social Security's ability to provide reliable, quick service has been undermined.
The agency is being led by acting commissioner Leland Dudek, who was elevated to that position after giving data to the DOGE team.
Dudek's quick policy changes have pushed out experienced workers who have been running the Social Security systems for years, with several others also resigning.
The latest controversy came last week, when Dudek said operations could be shut down after a judge's ruling limiting DOGE's access to agency data. He has since reversed that position, saying that President Donald Trump supports keeping Social Security offices open.
Meanwhile, lawmakers say their offices are being flooded with calls from angry constituents, and the AARP said Monday that more than 2,000 retirees are calling in every week, double their usual numbers, to find out if they are at risk of losing the benefits they paid in during their careers.
Special: 5 Strategies Boost Social Security Payments up to $188,170... More Info Here
For about 40% of older Americans, Social Security is the primary source of income. Trump has insisted that the administration won't touch the benefits, but the cuts to staffs and offices are already causing problems, according to advocates and officials.
Social Security was already having difficulty, including struggles as baby boomers hit their retirement years. But advocates say the system is damaged even more by the cuts that have come since Trump took office in January and say they fear that the push comes amid a call from conservatives to privatize the agency.
Dudek insisted that the cuts he has made, including consolidating regional offices, do not mean he is trying to destroy the agency.
New mandates are also adding to the confusion with the agency. These include a rule that direct deposit transactions and identity authentication must be done online or at a field office, not by phone, and that legal immigrants with work papers or newly naturalized citizens must apply for or update Social Security cards in person rather than getting them through the mail.
And now, with the cuts, recorded messages to callers are telling them that their wait to speak with someone could be two or three hours, and some say they were on hold for four or five hours.
Dudek acknowledged that the phone service issues are "not acceptable" and said all options are on the table to improve it, including outsourcing some call center services.
Alert: Dollar On Verge of Losing Safe-Haven Status, Trump Reacts... See More Here
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.