The start of 2025 ushered in the new Trump administration, unleashing his chainsaw-in-chief budget cutter Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the Social Security Administration (SSA).

President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised not to cut Social Security benefits. But DOGE’s proposed budget cuts, staff reductions and new rules regarding the benefit application process and identity proofing requirements have triggered a customer service crisis at the agency that administers benefits to more than 70 million Americans. Musk has repeatedly called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme” and falsely claimed that millions of dead people are collecting Social Security benefits.

Beginning in mid-February, a flurry of announcements by Acting Commissioner Lee Dudeck–and subsequent policy reversals in some cases–has sparked mass confusion among the public, triggering extremely long wait times on the agency’s 800-number telephone helpline and extensive lines at Social Security field offices, which now require appointments for in-person visits.

Dudek, a former mid-level data analyst, was elevated to the position of acting commissioner after former acting commissioner Michelle King resigned in protest in over Musk’s demand for unprecedented access to Social Security records that contain private and sensitive financial information about millions of Americans. As of early April, Trump’s nominee for Social Security Commissioner, Frank Bisignano, had not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

In Dudek’s initial official statement on February 19, 2025, he embraced DOGE’s mission as “a critical part of President Trump’s commitment to identifying fraud, waste and abuse.” However, Dudek conceded, Musk’s claims about millions of people wrongly receiving benefits was incorrect and reflect a misunderstanding of how the system works.

“I also want to acknowledge recent reporting about the number of people older than age 100 who may be receiving benefits from Social Security,” Dudek said in a statement. “The reported data are people in our records with a Social Security number who do not have a date of death associated with their record. These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits.”

On February 28, 2025, Dudek announced a massive reduction of what he called the agency’s “bloated workforce.” The goal is to reduce the staffing target to 50,000 employees, down from the current 57,000 employees nationwide, through voluntary resignations and early retirement. The current staffing level already represents a 50-year low at a time when demand for services from retiring Baby Boomers continues to increase. He also announced a consolidation of the agency’s 10 regional offices into four regions and abolished several offices within the agency, including the Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity.

In March, SSA announced that beneficiaries would no longer be able to change bank account information by telephone in an effort to stop fraud. Now, if someone needs to change their bank account information, they must do so online through Social Security’s My Account process, followed by a two-step authentication process. Individuals without access to a computer or cell phone will have to visit their local Social Security office in person to prove their identity.

After March 31, 2025, anyone applying for Social Security retirement, survivor or dependent benefits must do so online. SSA will permit individuals who do not or who cannot use the agency’s online “My Social Security” service to start their claims for benefits on the phone, but they cannot complete their claim until the individual’s identify is verified in person.

However, after public uproar over the hardship the change to online applications would cause millions of vulnerable Americans, SSA said those applying for Social Security disability benefits or Supplement Security Income (SSI) could continue to do so by phone.

SSA recommends calling 1-800-772-1213 to request an in-person appointment at a local Social Security office. Be prepared for a long wait. Or you can find the phone number of your local office by clicking on the yellow banner at the top of the SSA home page that says “If you need to visit an office, schedule an appointment first. Find out how.”

The agency urges individuals to skip the in-person visits whenever possible noting there are numerous tasks you can complete online including applying for benefits, replacing a Social Security card, updating contact and direct deposit information, and checking the status of a benefit application.

SSA also posted an extensive explanation of new identity proof requirements. The agency stressed that there is no need for individuals who are currently receiving benefits to contact Social Security.  Their benefits will continue and they don’t have to prove their identity. Only those people who are applying for benefits or changing their direct deposit information need to prove their identity.

If you are applying for benefits or changing your direct deposit information for existing benefits, you must use Social Security’s online my Social Security account. If unable to use Social Security’s online services, you must visit a local Social Security office in person to apply for retirement, survivors or dependent benefits, change direct deposit information or change your mailing address if you receive benefits by check.

Meanwhile, legal challenges to DOGE’s access to Social Security records continue. A coalition of unions, retirees and advocacy groups filed suit in the 4^th Circuit Court in March to halt DOGE’s access to sensitive Social Security records. On March 20, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander issued a temporary restraining order blocking DOGE from accessing SSA databases and requiring DOGE to delete any data it may have obtained from SSA.

 In response, acting commissioner Dudek said he might have to “shut down the agency” because the temporary restraining order applies to almost all SSA employees. That prompted a letter from the judge clarifying that her order only applies to DOGE employees. Dudek backed off his earlier threat and said that SSA employees would continue their work while the lawsuit plays out in the courts.