Social Security Slashing Jobs, Cutting Phone Support, Closing Field Offices and Requiring More In-Person Visits to Field Offices

Purportedly to strengthen identification processes, Social Security announced that phone support will be curtailed and as of 31 March 2025 recipients will more often be required to visit in person rather than call by phone, despite slashed staffing and closing of dozens of field offices.

Earlier in the month, it was announced that 7,000 of the 57,000 jobs at Social Security will be cut and dozens of field offices will be shut down.

This comes a week after an internal memo by Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek leaked. Dudek estimated that no longer allowing Social Security recipients to make account changes by telephone will force 75,000 to 85,000 more people every week to need appointments at Social Security offices. The memo predicted “increased challenges for vulnerable populations.”

Beneficiaries are about 70 million survivors of deceased workers, elderly or disabled. It is often hard for the elderly or disabled to go to an office in person. This is exacerbated by planned closure of dozens of Social Security field offices so that many people will need to travel farther to reach an office. Waiting times for appointments are already measured in weeks to months before upcoming drastic cuts to staffing.

The main possibility for an individual to avoid the need for an appointment at a field office is establishing online login access to their Social Security account (mySocialSecurity). This is impractical for many of the elderly, some people with disabilities and people in rural areas without internet access.

Click here for more details about cutting phone support and requiring in-person visits.

Click here for a list of Social Security field offices known to be on the 2025 closure list so far.

Click here for more about job cuts at Social Security.