Recent data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) has shown a decline in the percentage of Social Security and Medicare benefit applications processed on time.
As of February 2025, only 80.7% of applicants received benefits within two weeks, down from 85.6% in January. This marks the most significant drop in processing times seen in the last two years, according to Newsweek.
The Impact of Proposed Cuts on SSA’s Efficiency
The decrease in timely benefit claims processing has raised concerns, especially given the proposed budget cuts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
These cuts include the elimination of 7,000 SSA positions and the closure of regional offices, measures that critics argue could significantly undermine the agency’s ability to serve the public.
Former SSA commissioner Martin O’Malley warned that these changes could result in interruptions to benefits if the proposed cuts are implemented. As he explained to The Washington Post,
At this rate, they [DOGE] will break it. And they will break it fast, and there will be an interruption of benefits.
The Social Security Administration’s Current Claims Processing Situation
The data released by the SSA on March 17, 2025, pertains to claims for retirement, survivor, and Medicare programs. It does not include data on disability benefit claims.
The last significant drop in the approval rate occurred in May 2023, when only 80.3% of claims were processed within two weeks. In comparison, October 2024 saw the highest rate of timely approvals at 87%.
By the end of January 2025, the approval rate had already decreased to 85%, signaling a further decline as President Trump returned to office.
As of February 2025, 2.81 million claims for these benefits had been completed, while 545,428 claims remained pending.
Reactions to the SSA’s Workforce Reduction
SSA officials, including acting commissioner Leland Dudek, have defended the workforce reduction, stating that the agency plans to focus on eliminating non-essential roles.
Dudek said in a statement on February 28 :
The agency plans to reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure, with a significant focus on functions and employees who do not directly provide mission critical services. Social Security recently set a staffing target of 50,000, down from the current level of approximately 57,000 employees.
However, critics, including Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, have voiced strong opposition, describing the cuts as “outrageous and irresponsible.” Richtman emphasized that such actions could severely harm customer service for beneficiaries who depend on timely Social Security services.
He further stated,
There is no reason for slashing SSA’s workforce, other than the ideological crusade of Trump and Musk to hollow out the agency that administers our most-popular social insurance program—and privatize as much of the federal government as they possibly can.
