A new leaked memo revealed this week that the Trump administration is planning cuts to the Social Security Administration’s phone system, betraying 72 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits.
New reporting shows the Trump administration plans to end the option for people to verify their identity to the Social Security Administration (SSA) by phone – forcing seniors and disabled Americans to use online services or physically travel to a local Social Security office – except Trump is also closing those field offices too. Experts warn the change would “cripple field office operations,” which are already “badly paralyzed,” and cause “longer call wait times and delayed processing.”
“The message from the billionaires is this: If grandparents want their check so badly, they’ll either get better at computers, or better at making long drives,” said American Bridge 21st Century Spokesman Brandon Weathersby. “This is a betrayal of our nation’s seniors, who are already struggling with the impacts of a slowing economy, rising prices, and threats to vital health care programs.”
Trump is also considering a cruel SSA rule change that would stop Social Security payments altogether for Americans who are mistakenly overpaid by the agency. Experts warn the rule change would be devastating for millions of senior beneficiaries who rely on monthly payments – and could bankrupt others due to no fault of their own.
In addition, Trump’s betrayal included firing thousands of workers from the SSA, putting the accessibility of services at risk for millions of vulnerable Americans who were promised their benefits would always be there for them.
Donald Trump has always wanted to cut funding for Medicare and Social Security programs. In 2020, he promised to cut funding for the critical programs that millions of seniors and disabled Americans rely on if re-elected. In his final budget proposal, Trump proposed cutting Medicare by $500 billion over a decade and proposed billions in cuts to Social Security and disability insurance over the same period.
Trump was denied cuts to Social Security by Democrats in Congress during his first term and knows the political liability of making outright cuts to Social Security, so now he and Republicans are taking a backdoor approach to sabotaging the program.
Published: Mar 18, 2025