Social Security Announces Workforce and Organization Plans
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: April 18, 2025
Consistent with recent executive orders issued by the White House, the Social Security Administration will continue to implement efficiencies and reduce costs, with a renewed focus on mission critical work for the American people.
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. Rumor of a 50 percent reduction is false.
Initial steps to reduce the workforce included offering a limited number of employees the opportunity to leave the agency under the Deferred Resignation Program and Voluntary Early Retirement (VERA).
Yesterday, the agency announced to all employees that Social Security would soon implement agency-wide organizational restructuring that will include significant workforce reductions. The announcement includes offering Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments (VSIP) to all employees on a first come first serve basis and expanding VERA to all employees. Both VERA and VSIP require employees to opt in and to separate from the agency by specific dates.
Social Security anticipates that much of the staff reductions needed to reach the target of 50,000 will come from retirement, VSIP, and resignation. Additional reductions will come from reduction-in-force (RIF) actions that could include abolishment of organizations and positions. RIF also can include directed reassignments from one position to another position in the agency. Agencies are required to submit their RIF plans to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) by March 13, 2025. No date has been set when a RIF might begin after OPM approves the plan.
SSA has operated with a regional structure consisting of 10 offices, which is no longer sustainable. The agency will reduce the regional structure in all agency components down to four regions. The organizational structure at Headquarters also is outdated and inefficient. SSA will now have seven Deputy Commissioner level organizations.
These steps prioritize customer service by streamlining redundant layers of management, reducing non-mission critical work, and potential reassignment of employees to customer service positions. Also supporting this priority is looking for efficiencies and other opportunities to reduce costs across all spending categories, including information technology and contractor spending. SSA is committed to ensure this plan has a positive effect on the delivery of Social Security services.
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Mandamus
Thank you for this insightful article on the recent initiatives by the Social Security Administration (SSA) regarding workforce and organization plans. I found the section discussing the emphasis on enhancing service delivery particularly useful, highlighting how it can significantly impact beneficiaries’ experiences. To expand on this topic, it’s worth noting that the integration of technology in these workforce plans can play a crucial role in improving efficiency. For example, the SSA could benefit from adopting artificial intelligence tools to streamline customer service interactions, which could reduce wait times and improve access to information for users. https://mandamus.com/2025/04/16/the-writ-of-mandamus-in-comparative-legal-systems/
Additionally, a focus on remote work arrangements could not only help in retaining talent but also in attracting a diverse workforce, which is essential for understanding the varied needs of different demographic groups. Given these considerations, I’m curious: how do you think the SSA can balance traditional service methods with innovative approaches to best serve its beneficiaries?
Vernon B.
May God bless all of you for putting our government on a business like basis rather than squandering our tax dollar. If they run out of money, just print some more. Theft and dishonesty has been rampant. Please drain the swamp and make America No. 1 again!
happyluke
1
Rita K.
We used to trust U.S. government agencies. Since Trump, Musk and unqualified agency appointees have taken over, many of us no longer do.
Rita K.
A friend of mine told me she received a letter from SSA today with instructions on how to apply. She already applied 30 days ago and was hoping the letter was a status update. How far behind are you? Is this normal?
GWPDA
Congratulations on ‘discontinuing’ the Social Security Administration’s History Office. Planning on storing the material on which it was based or will you just trash it? And thanks for letting everyone know.
ahmet
Thank you for sharing this update about the Social Security Administration’s ongoing restructuring efforts. It’s clear that the agency is taking significant steps to improve efficiency and focus on mission-critical services for the American public. The reduction in workforce and regional restructuring should help streamline operations, but it’s important to ensure that the core services for citizens remain uninterrupted. For organizations looking to enhance efficiency and optimize their processes, strategies like these can serve as a model. For more on optimizing agency and organizational operations, check out our reklam ajansı.
Mary A.
Are we getting help from Social Security this month
KenLee
Yes, end the cap. Middle class pay 15.3%, half covered by the employer. A person making $2 million pays about 1.4% of the wages into social security.