Social Security Announces Workforce and Organization Plans
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: February 28, 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 The organizational structure at Headquarters also is outdated and inefficient.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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Joyce M.
What President Trump and Elon Musk are doing are eliminating agencies and downsizing the workforce to the extent that the agency becomes non operational. You have to be blind not to see it. President Trump has eliminated all the safeguards that protect the American people, fired all attorney generals, and removes anyone that speaks up or disagrees.
Elon Musk and his 20 employees are not independent or certified accountants. Outside independent auditors should be hired to find fraud and waste not tech hackers.
They will use fraud and waste as an excuse to eliminate, downsize, or destroy these agencies to use this money to enable Musk to give large subsidies to his companies and integrate Starlink into the government system. They will also use this money to give further tax breaks to the wealthiest people and corporations. This has never resulted in trickling down to the middle or lower class. They want to privatize services but not improve them so it again will only benefit the wealthiest. The money obtained from closing entire agencies and downsizing will not be used improve these services or lower our debt. It will be used for President Trumps pet projects which will increase the federal debt for us and our grandchildren. Trump is NOT improving our lives or our children’s with improved affordable education, affordability and availability of healthcare, lowering drug prices, improved nursing home care for elderly, available daycare for working mothers in all income levels, good jobs, adequate pay, equal treatment, and I can go on. President Trump seems to be more about control and division rather than serving ALL the people and not just the ones that serve him.
Susan T.
What a BS press release. SS offices were already totally understaffed. It’s BS to say that having 10 regional offices is unsustainable; somehow there’s enough $$ for Elon Musk to collect around $8 million a day in government contracts. It would be super easy to raise the cap a bit for the pay-in and the problem would be solved instantly, but this Administration is not interested in solving the problem, they want to turn this into an authoritarian oligarchy.
Cassie A.
Your statement about the bloat and”the SSA will continue to implement efficiencies and reduce costs, with a renewed focus on mission critical work for the American people” sure sounds like you were being coerced and forced to say this.
Were you? I bet I know who! The unelected prez musky and the convicted one.
Jack F.
The actions of this president are appaling. He is through his lackeys dismanteling the US Government.
Also going down So cial Secuurity which his lackey descibed as the biggest ponzi scheme ever.
I’ve paid into this for 53 years. Now I expect a steady amount in return. Had I wisely invested in the market for all that time, I would have recieved much, much, more.
We are in crisis with this con man as president.
Coll
If you think for one moment that any of these politicians Democrat and Republican alike care anything about you you are so misguided I’m surprised that you think that any of these people care Trump Biden Harris Obama Clinton’s Bush none of those people care about anything except how they look on TV this ain’t the first time that we’ve been through this in Washington DC in the Reagan years it was even worse president Trump in this Administration spend more time worrying about transgender and wokeness for some reason those things terrify them I don’t understand how anybody can stand and do hate against anyone everyone should be respected for their opinion no matter what that opinion may be you don’t know their situation you don’t know what they’ve been through you don’t know and that’s the great thing about America you can dare to dream and dream big but a politician can take it away with just a phrase this country has been out of balance it seems as though it’s lost and now for some reason we think that we can throw religion into our politics that is mistake that is a mistake that is mistake I am a very spiritual person the religion needs to be a personal thing politics is also a personal thing but in America we are better than that we’re better than this president Trump is going to do what president Trump’s going to do hopefully Congress and the Supreme Court will stand up and do what they’re supposed to do if they don’t I fear it might just all be over
DD
I believe that Trump is set on destroying our once beautiful country. I hope everyone on this post does more than write a rebuke of his mutilation. Have you gone to the streets to protest? Have you sent an actual letter to your senator or congressman? Have you been to a town hall meeting? Have you run for office? Have you put out flyers in your community? Have you set up a meeting yourself for the community? Have you had an actual conversation with a Republican and brought proof of Trumps lies? Have you gone to a business or restaurant or hospital or doctors office and complained about Fox News being on the tv? Have you protested against or stopped doing business with the companies that support Trump? Have you ever told a person flying a Trump flag or wearing a MAGA shirt or hat that you want to talk to them about Trump? Have you ever called a right wing radio show to expose the lies? Have you educated yourself on how to talk to a Republican on their viewpoints and how to persuade their opinions? Have you gone to your church and talked to a pastor that supports Trump and jarred their mindset? Have you sold your stock of Republican companies and told them why? Have you made a list of businesses to avoid and shared with others? Have you quit your job in protest to an owner’s support of Trump? Have you found alternate businesses to support that believe in your same ideals? Have you prepared yourself and family on what to do if Trump succeeded? Have you ever explained to a Republican a benefit they enjoy was brought to them by a democrat? Have you contributed to a political campaign? Have you volunteered to work phone banks? Have you ever read the constitution? Have you ever championed the success of an immigrant, LGBQ member, Disabled person, a member of a different race or religion, or a different sex? Do you have a sign in your yard or sticker on you car? Have you written a blog, made a vid for social media, or become active in voicing your opinions ? Have you done anything to support your party? Did you vote????
Today, right now, set a path forward! Choose your lane and go for it? Commit to it! Champion your cause! Go out of your way to make a difference! Pick just one thing to do different. There are plenty of things you can do! Do them! Do those things in honesty and integrity! You don’t have to beat down others to make your point. Find your talent or strength and utilize it for open dialogue with anyone and everyone! Visualize your dream of what your country means to you! Become an expert on one thing to make a difference! Join like minded political groups and forge your truth! You have to make the change first but together we are strong!
Julia E.
Social Security will benefit from a reorganization. My company downsized 4 times throughout my 43 year career with employees taking a buyout or a new desk. Private sector employees go through restructuring/buyout multiple times.
In the past when we have had to deal with SS office we were always surprised when an employee took care of everything with one phone call. (without issues). That should be the norm. As I was taught, there is always a way to work more efficiently.
Michael P.
The level of reaction, and outrage to Social Security is very interesting.
If this was such a under staffed, dysfunctional department.
Why was it not addressed when Democrats and Progressives had the Congress and Senate during the 1st. Trump admin, then followed by the Biden admin. They did and spent money on everything under the sun. But, fully neglected improving technology , streamlining procedures of the Social Security? Now everyone yell foul over a system that has been abused, robbed and even infiltrated by other govts.
Now, the typical outrage and resistance drama the Democrats will act out like a cheap High School drama class.
Its beyond predictable and redundant.
Joy M.
Social Security is not a ponzi scheme. It’s a retirement benefit I earned from 48 hard working years. We can’t afford to let President musk and BP tRump get their hands on this institution. Call your congress person and Senators and tell them to get to work holding the line.
John D.
It very much is a Ponzi. You are being paid by current workers “contributions”. (The definition of Ponzi.) Your contributions were gone long ago. And you were repaid all you put into SS your first year or two of benefits.
Justina
You’re comparing SS to fraudulent schemes that have harmed people.
If SS is fraudulent, it was set up by a really incompetent criminal who forgot to take our contributions and collapse the system…90 years ago.
And if you don’t like ss, don’t collect the benefits if/when you’re eligible.
John D.
The name Ponzi has nothing to do with legality. It is a nice shorthand. It describes a classic pyramid scheme once run by a fellow named Ponzi. It is pyramid schemes that have been made illegal, regardless of what they are called. A few people start an investment at the beginning and are paid off by many more paying later. Eventually there are not enough at the bottom to keep up the payments. Privately run pyramid schemes are illegal by law.
SS is a pyramid scheme that is only legal because the government says it is. Not because it operates any differently from illegal ones. Except that it can legally enforce “contributions” from covered employment.
You are at/near the top and need dozens+ more working now to support your payments and COLAs. Have you ever really looked at your earnings history. Every year requires FICA on greater and greater earnings per year. Your online SS account will show you the total you paid into the system on the “Your Social Security Statement”. Divide the taxes paid total at the bottom of the Earnings Record by your monthly benefit. I doubt the break-even is more than two or three years. About twice that if you include the Employer portion.
When those currently working start collecting each one will need even more working per beneficiary to keep up their payments. Hence the pyramid. Eventually there will not be enough at the bottom to pay the ones at the top. And that is why, I am sure you’ve heard, SS will go broke in about 10 years. Unless “contributions” are increased, benefits reduced, retirement age is increased, general tax funds used to finance payments, etc. All to stave off the eventual failure of the SS pyramid. One day, perhaps in your lifetime, SS will collapse because at some point there will not be enough earners to make the needed contributions needed to keep it going. Then people will be harmed. It will not be pretty.
Print this and put it in your files for future reference. I will say “I told you so.”
Justina
We disagree on basic definition. Both ponzi and pyramid schemes are illegal, with laws in place to fight the fraud.
Is the government in violation of its own anti-fraud law? Don’t you think the right, which has hated ss from its inception, would have fought this in the courts with lawsuit after lawsuit? Again, ss has been around for 90 years and it’s still here irritating the right.
Oh, please. I am very aware of how ss is funded and the challenges of solvency. And we know that congress is well aware of the solvency issue and will need to make some tough choices.
Tell you what. Let’s put musk and Bernie in a room together and let them fight this out. My money is on Bernie.
Who prints anymore? Ink is too expensive. But I’ll gladly meet you back here later to see who has the right to say I Told Ya!
Bart
“Divide the taxes paid total at the bottom of the Earnings Record by your monthly benefit. I doubt the break-even is more than two or three years.” – you’re forgetting one thing: interest.
I’m nearly 60, and I’ve been contributing over 40 years now – and that interest adds up. It also continues after you retire. Your contributions have added up, with interest over time – then you retire and you’re drawing out only a portion with the rest continuing to earn interest, year after year, on a declining balance.
I’ve done the math using my actual SS contributions over 40+ years and the interest rates listed on the SS site (varying from 11% in the mid 80s to around 2.5 recently). If I retire at either 65 or 70 and live only ten years, then SS comes out ahead; I’ll have taken out less than I put in plus interest. If I live longer than around 15 years, then I’m taking out more than I put in over time (again, with interest). And I’m only using my contributions here, not including my employer’s match over time.
Statistically, the average American lives to about 78 right now, though it was closer to 80 before COVID. So let’s go with 80. (Some will die sooner, and some later, of course.) Retire at 65, live to that statistical age of 80, and you’ll come out somewhat ahead. The employer match should cover the administrative overhead in the system.
My take – it’s not that you get it all back in 2-3 years and the system’s broken, I’m wondering where all that employer match money and interest went…?
Mike
Emperor Musk has no clothes. Why is a person who was not elected allowed to run the country?
Sad Sad Sad.
The hard working people at SSA have always helped me at every turn to deliver the benefits to which I am ENTITLED. I have paid into the program since 1973. Now what happens? Might as well take the Security part out of the title and put Social Uncertainty Administration.