Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has raised alarm over the growing strain on older Americans trying to access their Social Security benefits. Her remarks come amid a wave of policy changes and office downsizing at the Social Security Administration (SSA), driven by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Elon Musk.
A new report paints a stark picture: millions of seniors are now forced into long, unnecessary travel just to perform basic account updates.
What Happened: Warren reposted a Newsweek article citing a report highlighting the impact of DOGE-led changes, pointing out that 13.5 million older adults now have to drive more than an hour round trip just to update their banking details.
In another message, she added, "Americans will also take 2 million additional trips to Social Security offices each year. Unnecessary travel burdens make it harder for seniors to collect their checks. Some never will. That's the point."
The study, released by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), estimates that new SSA rules and field office reductions are generating close to 2 million additional in-person visits each year.
Many of these trips stem from recent changes requiring beneficiaries to verify identities in person or through a complicated digital process just to make payment-related changes. Phone-based transactions, once a standard option, are now largely unavailable for this purpose.
Devin O'Connor, a senior fellow at CBPP and co-author of the report, noted that the numbers only reflect direct travel time and don't capture the added burden of long waits and limited appointment availability.
"It doesn’t take into account how long you might spend waiting in a field office or how hard it is to get an appointment to go to a field office in the first place," he said.
Why it Matters: Social Security serves nearly 69 million Americans each month. As the system scales back in-person staffing and narrows remote access, older adults, particularly those in rural areas or with mobility limitations, are disproportionately affected.
In 31 states, more than a quarter of seniors live over an hour away from the nearest SSA location. In some states, including Arkansas and Wyoming, that figure surpasses 40%.
Now-deleted SSA data showed nearly 2,000 employees accepted buyouts earlier this year, straining already thin field office staffing. Former Commissioner Martin O'Malley has warned that the system is nearing a breaking point. "Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits," he said in April. "I believe you will see that within the next 30 to 90 days."
The SSA continues to move ahead with planned office closures and service changes, despite pushback from unions, policymakers, and advocacy groups, while many Americans rush to claim benefits early out of fear.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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