Since the Trump administration took office in January, the Social Security Administration has faced significant operational strain. Critics argue that aggressive cost-cutting and restructuring have pushed the agency to its limits.
Caseload backlogs have grown to over 6 million, and applicants frequently report that they cannot get basic questions answered or even reach someone who can help. A Washington Post report highlighted this decline, stating that the agency’s customer service has worsened by many important measures.
At the heart of the issue are cuts and “efficiencies” linked to the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. This has led to changes in staffing and processes throughout the agency. According to the report, employees who were neither terminated nor resigned have been reassigned between departments with little training, leaving many trying to handle unfamiliar tasks while the public waits longer for answers.
Internal documents and interviews referenced by the Post show an agency struggling to function properly. Leadership changes have increased, and staffing has been rearranged repeatedly. The report indicated that DOGE-driven changes have left the agency in “turmoil.” It mentioned multiple commissioners coming and going and “record backlogs” delaying basic services for millions of customers.
For frontline staff, the situation has led to a steady decline in capacity that is apparent everywhere, from phone lines to claims processing. John Pfannenstein, a claims specialist near Seattle and president of Local 3937 of the American Federation of Government Employees, told the Post, “It was not good before, but now the cracks are more than showing.”
The Post outlined a quick reorganization that generated confusion. “Regional offices abruptly disappeared in a rushed reorganization,” the report stated. New anti-fraud policies were “rolled out only to be canceled or changed,” creating uncertainty for both staff and the public. Consequently, confused customers flooded the phone lines, the website “crashed repeatedly,” and daily operations turned into “an endless game of whack-a-mole” as workers were shifted from one unit to another to handle the latest crisis.
The public impact is already noticeable with Trump’s changes. “Wait times for callbacks are over an hour, and more than a quarter of callers do not receive service — either getting disconnected or not getting a callback,” said Jenn Jones, AARP’s vice president of financial security.
Within the agency, the Post reported that remaining staff members have been forced into new roles under threat of termination, even when training is limited or non-existent. In some cases, the preparations described seem more like improvisation than actual onboarding. “Training on the phone system and complex claims and benefit programs lasted four hours for some reassigned workers when it should have taken six months,” another employee shared with the Post.
The problem has affected those seeking help, as “some customers still can’t get basic questions answered or receive inaccurate information,” according to several staff members who answer calls or work closely with those who do.
One employee summed up the atmosphere, describing a system that feels overwhelming for those left behind: “They offered minimal training and basically threw them in to sink or swim.”
For applicants, retirees, and disabled beneficiaries, the stakes are very real, and many are laying the blame on Trump. Social Security is a vital support system, and delays can be more than just frustrating; they can cause financial instability. The picture painted by the Post’s reporting shows an agency in constant flux, trying to do more with less, while millions wait for basic services that used to be difficult to access but are now becoming even harder to obtain.
