Washington, D.C. — A new Center for American Progress column highlights how the recent cuts to the Social Security Administration, from staffing reductions to the threat of field office closures, threaten Americans’ ability to access the benefits they rely on to get by.
In January 2025, more than 1 in 5 American received benefits from the Social Security Administration. Any delay or interruption in payments would be catastrophic. For more than 7 million Americans above the age of 65, at least 90 percent of their income comes from Social Security.
The new CAP column reviews how the Social Security Administration has already been operating with a shoestring staff and how any further cuts could lead to both a system collapse and interruption of benefits. It also discusses how disabled people will bear the brunt of the cuts and wait even longer to access benefits as well as how the cuts will further hamper customer service for recipients.
“Americans want to see Social Security supported and bolstered, not cut,” said Molly Weston Williamson, senior fellow at CAP and author of the column. “The Trump administration is doing the opposite of what people want—slashing staff and closing offices, compromising the capacity needed to get Americans the retirement and disability benefits they need, when they need them.”
Read the column: “Cuts to the Social Security Administration Threaten Millions of Americans’ Retirement and Disability Benefits” by Molly Weston Williamson
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