Since President Donald Trump has returned to the White House, a core focus of his presidency has been to eliminate waste in the federal government, an effort spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under the watchful eye of Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Several departments and agencies have been subjected to major funding cuts and mass layoffs. Meanwhile, the Department of Education faces the potential of being dismantled entirely.
However, one agency that has been the subject of mixed messages from the Trump Administration is Social Security.
Several departments and agencies have been subjected to major funding cuts and mass layoffs. Meanwhile, the Department of Education faces the potential of being dismantled entirely.
However, one agency that has been the subject of mixed messages from the Trump Administration is Social Security.
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00:00Since President Donald Trump has returned to the White House, a core focus of his presidency has been to eliminate waste in the federal government,
00:06an effort spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, under the watchful eye of Elon Musk.
00:12However, one agency that has been the subject of mixed messages from the Trump administration is Social Security,
00:18a program which sends retirement and disability benefits to over 70 million people through the SSA.
00:23In the fiscal year 2024, over 20% of the federal budget was spent on Social Security.
00:28Trump has maintained that he will not touch the program, but some cabinet members have cast doubt on whether or not those who receive Social Security benefits should be concerned.
00:35Here's what you need to know about what's happening to Social Security under the Trump administration and whether or not you should be concerned.
00:41There have been reports that DOGE plans to cut thousands of jobs at the SSA and close offices around the country.
00:46While the SSA say that these closures are fake, leadership says that it will cut 7,000 of its 57,000 person staff.
00:53According to some experts, the short answer for whether or not people should be concerned about Social Security is yes.
00:58With significant staff cuts, they say it's less of a question of whether or not any benefits will get cut,
01:03but rather whether the SSA will have the staff to actually deliver the benefits that are being mandated.
01:08People have also been concerned about DOGE's access to the sensitive information held by the SSA.
01:12In a ruling in Maryland, one judge ruled to block DOGE from having access to SSA databanks, granting a temporary restraining order.
01:19Elsewhere, there's been concern about the introduction of new identification policies announced by the SSA in March,
01:25which will require people to come to field offices in person or access information online instead of utilizing phone calls.
01:32When you shut off phone lines, when you close offices, when you increase wait times,
01:36three years for someone on disability to get Social Security, make no mistake about it,
01:41they're trying to strangle Social Security so it has no more life in it.
01:47In response to backlash from lawmakers and advocates, the SSA released an update that some people will be exempt from these new rules,
01:53allowing people applying for Medicare, disability, or SSI to complete their claims by other means.
01:58Those who are not applying for Medicare, disability, and SSI should prepare for the new ID policy on April 14th,
02:04and they can do so by creating a My Social Security account on the SSA website if they do not already have one.
02:09That way, they will not have to provide identification in person.
02:12For the SSA, the updated measures will further, quote,
02:15safeguard Social Security records and benefits for millions of Americans against fraudulent activities.
02:20This comes after Musk, who was leading the charge at DOJ,
02:23previously characterized Social Security as the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,
02:27claiming that the program is riddled with fraud and waste.
02:30Many experts and Democrats have disputed Musk's claims,
02:33emphasizing the importance of fully funding and staffing the SSA.