Retirement Social Security

Social Security Report Issues Warning About ‘Catastrophic’ Cuts

Cuts to Social Security are having a significant impact on beneficiaries.

By Paige Cerulli , Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated April 25, 2026

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Social Security senior benefits are key to many older adults' retirement plans, but cuts made to the program by the Trump administration are having a "catastrophic" impact on beneficiaries. A Senate Democratic report, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren's office, sheds light on how some of the cuts are affecting the program and beneficiaries.

Read on to learn how these cuts could impact your Social Security and your access to the program.

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Conflicting information on Social Security cuts

The report, titled, "Saving Social Security: How the Social Security War Room Has Fought & Won For Americans in Its First Year," shares insights conflicting with Trump's repeated pledges to not cut Social Security.

The report argues that the staffing reductions and operational changes implemented by the Trump administration have resulted in "backdoor benefit cuts," as the cuts make it more difficult for beneficiaries to access their benefits, resulting in fewer beneficiaries getting the benefits they need.

The report highlights several key findings and how they're altering Social Security and impacting beneficiaries.

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Employee layoffs and longer phone wait times

According to the report, Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut approximately 7,500 Social Security employees. "The results of these cuts have been catastrophic," states the report.

Such layoffs may have contributed to longer phone wait times. An investigation conducted by Democrats found that the actual average phone wait time was over ten times higher than what the Social Security Administration (SSA) was reporting. Some calls weren't answered at all, creating a significant barrier to beneficiaries who needed help.

Rural field office closures

The staffing reductions may be impacting rural field offices particularly strongly. According to the report, some field offices are so understaffed that they are effectively closed. Those closures can be seen on the Social Security Office Closures and Emergencies website, which currently lists 19 offices that are either closed entirely or only offering service via phone. The offices are located throughout the country, and the SSA indicates that the closures may be due to construction, the inability to allow people to wait outside of the office, or for other reasons.

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Impacts on beneficiaries

Issues like long waits to receive phone support and the inability to get in-person help at local Social Security offices create significant barriers for beneficiaries. "These changes amount to back-door program cuts, making it harder for seniors to claim their benefits, solve problems, or just get answers to their basic questions," stated the report. The report alleges that the results of the cuts are "catastrophic," referencing how difficult it has become for older Americans and those with disabilities to access the benefits they rely on.

Fact-checking fraud

Additionally, the report briefly explores fact-checking Musk's claims about Social Security fraud. Musk and DOGE repeatedly claimed that Social Security claims are full of fraud, and a DOGE team member stated that 40% of calls to SSA to change direct deposit information came from fraudsters. In May 2025, NextGov reporting found that only two phone claims out of 110,000 new cases were potentially fraudulent.

However, the anti-fraud checks the SSA installed for phone claims had slowed claim processing by 25%, creating another barrier to accessing the benefits.

Blame for Frank Bisignano

"The man the Trump administration appointed to carry on these attacks, Commissioner Frank Bisignano, has attempted to paper over the chaos he has created at the agency," states the report. It alleges that rather than fix customer service problems, Bisignano's actions included "cherry-picking metrics, soliciting federal contracts to deploy self-service kiosks, and shifting thousands of employees away from their jobs processing benefits and managing field offices to answering the agency's embattled 1-800 number."

Additionally, the report indicates that under Bisignano's leadership, the SSA came close to announcing a rule that would have made it more difficult for disabled Americans to get their Social Security benefits.

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Bisignano's perspective

According to Bisignano, the SSA is operating more transparently and efficiently, and that efficiency is resulting in shorter phone wait times and faster benefits processing. The SSA reported that average phone wait times had declined from 29 minutes in 2024 to 16 minutes in 2025.

Bottom line

The changes made to the SSA may impact certain beneficiaries more than others. Those with disabilities, limited internet access, or rural addresses may encounter some of the greatest challenges in getting the help they need.

If you're having trouble reaching SSA, try contacting your local office. You may also try using the SSA's online my Social Security portal to apply for benefits, check the status of your application, print a benefit verification letter, and more.

SSA benefits may be a key component of your retirement plan, but it may also be helpful to have multiple other sources of income or resources you can rely on in case you run into trouble with your SSA benefits.

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