{"id":1052082,"date":"2025-03-17T21:08:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T01:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/democrats.org\/?p=1052082"},"modified":"2025-03-18T09:08:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T13:08:40","slug":"leaked-memo-trump-and-musk-plot-to-derail-social-security-with-new-cuts-affecting-millions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/leaked-memo-trump-and-musk-plot-to-derail-social-security-with-new-cuts-affecting-millions\/","title":{"rendered":"LEAKED MEMO: Trump and Musk Plot to \u201cDerail\u201d Social Security With New Cuts Affecting Millions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A newly <\/em>leaked memo<\/em><\/a> reveals Donald Trump and Elon Musk have yet another plan to \u201cbreak\u201d Social Security and \u201cderail\u201d payments for millions of Americans, forcing longer wait times and causing <\/em>\u201csignificant\u201d<\/em><\/a> payment disruptions \u2014 especially in rural areas. Trump and his shadow president are making it clear: They\u2019re setting the groundwork to <\/em>\u201celiminate\u201d<\/em><\/a> Americans\u2019 hard-earned benefits like Social Security and Medicare all to fund tax breaks for their ultra-wealthy backers. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Axios<\/a>: \u201cAn internal memo from the Social Security Administration proposes changes to its phone service that could derail the benefits application process for many Americans. \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe draft of the memo viewed by Axios says the proposed limitations will be \u2018significant\u2019 for those living in rural areas in particular. \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe memo\u2019s focus is on identity verification. Currently, if you are unable to verify your identity using their online system, you can complete the process by phone. \u2026 The identity verification changes would mean that people who previously could apply for, or update, benefits over the phone would have to travel to a local field office to do so. That presents many hurdles. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese changes, if implemented, would \u2018cripple field office operations, and they\u2019re already badly paralyzed,\u2019 <\/strong>that former official told Axios \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForcing all those folks to come into a field office \u2018would, in essence, break the agency.\u2019 \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe version of the memo ultimately sent to [acting commissioner Leland] Dudek acknowledges that \u2018Service Disruption\u2019 and \u2018Operational Strain\u2019 is \u2018a risk and challenge\u2019 of implementing this plan.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere would be \u2018increased field office traffic, longer call wait times and delayed processing,<\/strong>\u2019 [acting deputy Social Security commissioner for operations Doris] Diaz writes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington Post<\/a>: \u201cSocial Security and White House officials said the administration will still move ahead with another far more limited element of the original proposal: Customers will no longer be able to change a direct deposit routing number or other bank information by phone. \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe changes \u2014 contemplated and enacted \u2014 threatened to disrupt Social Security\u2019s internal operations and limit its ability to serve the public, current and former officials warned, just as DOGE is targeting the agency for across-the-board staff cuts of more than 12 percent. \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe DOGE-driven proposal \u2026 would be likely to imperil millions of Americans\u2019 ability to receive their earned benefits. The field office staff is already facing DOGE-directed depletions as the Trump administration moves to cut 7,000 jobs at the agency and eliminate numerous field offices.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Axios<\/a>: \u201cDOGE is taking its wrecking ball to the Social Security Administration, the agency responsible for overseeing retirement and disability benefits for 73 million Americans.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy it matters: The cuts underway could wind up breaking critical parts of a system that millions of the nation\u2019s most vulnerable citizens rely on, including nearly 90% of Americans over age 65. \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe agency also announced plans to shutter six of 10 regional offices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDOGE has also gained access to crucial systems,<\/strong> packed with private data that Flick and others said the group doesn\u2019t have the expertise to handle.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A newly leaked memo reveals Donald Trump and Elon Musk have yet another plan to \u201cbreak\u201d Social Security and \u201cderail\u201d payments for millions of Americans, forcing longer wait times and causing \u201csignificant\u201d payment disruptions \u2014 especially in rural areas. Trump and his shadow president are making it clear: They\u2019re setting the groundwork to \u201celiminate\u201d Americans\u2019 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":292,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1052082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLEAKED MEMO: Trump and Musk Plot to \u201cDerail\u201d Social Security With New Cuts Affecting Millions - Democrats<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/leaked-memo-trump-and-musk-plot-to-derail-social-security-with-new-cuts-affecting-millions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Democrats\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-18T01:08:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-18T13:08:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Black-Logo-White-Fill-For-Email.png?w=1024\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Adrianna Tomasello\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Adrianna Tomasello\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/leaked-memo-trump-and-musk-plot-to-derail-social-security-with-new-cuts-affecting-millions\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/leaked-memo-trump-and-musk-plot-to-derail-social-security-with-new-cuts-affecting-millions\/\",\"name\":\"LEAKED MEMO: Trump and Musk Plot to \u201cDerail\u201d Social Security With New Cuts Affecting Millions - 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