Millions of Americans rely on Social Security every month to pay for housing, groceries, medications and other essentials. But for many retirees and disabled beneficiaries, getting help from the agency is becoming harder, especially in rural communities where local offices may be hours away.
In a recent New Yorker investigation into staffing cuts and operational changes at the agency, one Midwest Social Security office manager told reporter E. Tammy Kim, it isn’t unusual for people to drive two and a half hours to get help. (1) Staffing cuts, centralized phone systems and operational changes inside the Social Security Administration (SSA) are reshaping how Americans access benefits.
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The agency serves more than 75 million people (2), including retirees, individuals with disabilities and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. But the SSA’s workforce has been drastically cut, with the agency losing more than 7,000 employees in 2025 alone, including roughly 3,000 customer-service workers (3).
The staffing reductions were the result of the short-lived Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which pushed federal agencies to cut costs and modernize operations. Earlier this year, DOGE targeted Social Security offices before plans were reversed following public backlash, according to Reuters (4).
Advocates say the downsizing could disproportionately hurt older Americans, disabled beneficiaries and rural residents who depend on in-person help to navigate one of the federal government’s most complex systems.
Why in-person Social Security offices matter
For many Americans, Social Security isn’t simply a website login or quick phone call.
Field offices help people with the basics: apply for disability benefits, replace Social Security cards, resolve payment problems, report income changes for SSI eligibility and navigate survivor benefits after a spouse dies. Many cases require original documents, lengthy explanations or a rundown of complicated eligibility rules.
That’s especially true for SSI recipients, whose benefits can change depending on income, living arrangements or local assistance programs.
The SSA handled about 31 million in-person visits in fiscal year 2024, according to the agency (5). Yet it has simultaneously pushed more users online and on the phone.