Doge’s attack on social security causing ‘complete, utter chaos’, staff says
www.theguardian.com
Understaffed agency sent into ‘death spiral’ as employees warn Musk-led cuts will lead to structural collapse

Summary

Staff at the Social Security Administration (SSA) warn the agency is in “complete, utter chaos” due to drastic budget cuts, office closures, and job losses led by Elon Musk.

Plans to cut 7,000 jobs and centralize operations have disrupted services, with website outages and record backlogs.

Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek backs DOGE’s changes, despite union opposition and legal pushback. Critics say Musk is pushing misinformation to justify dismantling SSA.

With staffing at 50-year lows, experts fear a “death spiral” and potential collapse in service delivery.

  • dhork@lemmy.worldEnglish
    23·
    3 days ago

    The problem is that many Trump-supporting seniors have been told for all of their adult lives by Conservative media that government is corrupt and wasteful. So when the checks stop coming, they won’t blame their team for it, they will ask Trump to double down on the cuts until everything is fixed. They take it as axiomatic that everything wrong with government is due to bloat and waste, and good luck convincing them otherwise.

    • takeda@lemm.ee
      6·
      3 days ago

      Maybe, but on 4/5 protests yesterday I saw something interesting.

      Typically it is younger people, minorities that are oppressed.

      This time majority were white people, vets, seniors (many on walkers or wheelchairs). Actually there was a very small number of minorities. As I understand it is because of ICE and threat of being locked up in prison in El Salvador (not criticizing, this is all understandable as being darker skinned places a target on you for corrupted law enforcement)

      Though this gives me hope that actually a large number of seniors actually understand who is responsible.

    • kautau@lemmy.world
      6·
      3 days ago

      Yeah exactly. Good luck convincing them this wasn’t some “joe and the ho” plot that they so easily ate when russia spent billions on social media telling that the dems were coming for their money so they could put Krasnov in power to destabilize the west.