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 The organizational structure at Headquarters also is outdated and inefficient.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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Mark
I believe the author of this notice is a Trump/Musk supporter. If not, the use of the term “bloated” would leave the impression there was prior awareness of operational inefficiencies without correction. Is that not dereliction of duty, thus warranting reorganization? Has SSA been intentionally draining the limited resources for the sake of careers that were not constructively contributing to the welfare of the beneficiaries?
Gerry
The SSA certainly does have a lot of incompetent employees and managers. Please be selective in choosing who gets terminated. Use past performance reviews rather than years of service as the criterion.
Justina
How do you know that there are a LOT of incompetent employees? That is an insult to everyone at SSA. The front line staff are working hard to keep up with demand. I’m sure they have demanding jobs, and don’t deserve this criticism.
Ian G.
Consolidation is good as long as services are not affected to deserving, legal and lawful beneficiaries.
Doug U.
Reorgization combined with staff reductions should go in tamdem presuming efficiencies are in fact a goal. Reducing public facing staff and their support should be minimized. The meatax approach that has beem seen in other agenciers does not give any confidence. When will we see the new organization chart, the number of staff allocated to the regional offices and field offices, the precise offices to be closed/retained and the timeline for implementation? Bottom line is this another mindless Elon Musk special!
Lisa R.
Well, you have already delayed payment of SS, so this efficiency measure out to really speed things up. What a bunch of BS.
Anne V.
I would applaud reorganization if it were being done in a thoughtful, data-driven way. I don’t believe that could be the case in such a short time and in the haphazard manner employed in the first few weeks of this initiative.
M. C.
I am very sorry to see that you are characterizing the SSA workforce as “bloated.” My experience with SSA staff has been good; if anything, they are overworked and, obviously, underappreciated. I hope the reductions don’t stand as I believe the SSA staff are “mission critical” for all Americans.
Sharlene S.
Bloated organization? Wrong. Current wait times for a response from the so-called automated system and for in-person interviews are lengthy and beyond reasonable especially when relating to an urgent or time sensitive situation. Reduction in the number of locations impairment the ability of rural persons to get in-person meetings as travel distance will be prohibitive. This is a terrible plan for those actually eligible for or applying for benefits for aging, disability or children of retirees.
Allan S.
If my Social Security and Medicare services are cut Politicians and leaders heads will rolls. I have been paying into this for 55 years. It’s not just a benefit, it is a right.
M.Jane
Blah, blah, blah . . . we are not ignorant or stupid. We get what you are doing. Made up words. All your “reorganization” will achieve is lack of progress and FEWER services. Just go home.