DOGE, lead by Elon Musk, continues to stir trouble within America’s retirement system, as key parts of the Social Security website have been inaccessible over the past week, prompting an investigation into the cause of these service disruptions.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is responding to reports that its website crashed multiple times this month, blocking retirees and disabled Americans from accessing their online accounts. SSA spokeswoman Nicole Tiggemann stated that while the website remained operational, some users experienced difficulties signing in to their “My Social Security” accounts.
These issues emerged shortly after the agency encouraged online help-seeking and announced that phone-based identity verification would be discontinued; following criticism, the agency partially reversed this policy change for retirees applying for Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income. The agency plans to significantly reduce its phone services, potentially affecting Americans’ access to benefits, with Newsweek reporting that Trump’s voters will be most affected by the changes.
DOGE’s involvement has spurred confusion and anger, as critics suggest that DOGE might be intentionally sabotaging the agency to justify its closure. Musk has publicly disparaged Social Security, falsely claiming that 40% of calls are fraudulent attempts to redirect payments, misinformation which the New York Times debunked.
The SSA disputed claims of closing field offices despite DOGE listing dozens of SSA field offices on a website dedicated to federal lease terminations. The agency clarified that since January 1, 2025, no local field offices have been permanently closed or announced for closure, noting that temporary closures may occur due to weather, damage, or facilities issues.
The agency confirmed the permanent closure of one hearing office in White Plains, NY, which is one of the largest in New York state and the only one in Westchester County. The SSA explained it had identified underutilized office space for the General Services Administration to ensure prudent spending of taxpayer money and provided a list of sites for termination, consisting mostly of small hearing rooms made obsolete by the increase of virtual hearings.
Social security activists claim that DOGE’s changes will lead to deaths. Former commissioner, Martin O’Malley, has stated that the changes could cause large-scale service disruptions as soon as June.
