Dogecoin Company Initiates Job Cuts at Social Security, Intends to Streamline IT Department as Website Persistently Malfunctions: Allegation
Revised Article
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing a potential mass layoff, with potentially thousands of employees getting the axe as soon as next week. This move comes under the instructions of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aiming to slim down the agency and align it with President Trump's "efficiency" mandate.
The Washington Post reports that the DOGE team has insisted on a sweeping workforce reduction throughout the agency. The demand for these cuts is so immense that the agency's current downsizing efforts since February, led by acting commissioner Leland Dudek, aren't considered enough.
The DOGE team hasn't specified a specific number of jobs that need to be eliminated, but they've asked for significant staff reductions across various departments, including communications, personnel, legislative and congressional affairs, retirement and disability policy, and other support components.
Notably, the DOGE team has also targeted the SSA's IT team for severe cuts. Given the recent decision to scale back phone operations and the resulting surge of traffic to the SSA website, the IT team is already under immense strain. The Washington Post suggests that up to 800 members of the IT team could be let go.
The DOGE team's moves don't stop there. They've already announced lease terminations for dozens of SSA field offices across the country, a move that could make it hard for retirees to get in-person help when signing up for retirement benefits. On top of that, the SSA's phone operations have been scaled back, and it seems that web operations might follow suit.
Critics worry that DOGE's ultimate goal is to cripple the agency's operations and render it incapable of functioning. When reached for comment by Gizmodo, a White House spokesperson maintained that the Trump administration is focused on making the federal government more efficient and that every recipient will continue to receive their benefits. However, they failed to dispute the specifics presented in the Post report.
If the Trump administration successfully hobbles the SSA while also jeopardizing Americans' retirement savings through an ill-advised trade war, the concept of "retirement" might be in serious jeopardy for the foreseeable future.
Enrichment Data: The Social Security Administration (SSA) is undergoing a 12% reduction in staff as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, and President Trump's efficiency mandate. The changes include voluntary separation programs, office closures, and impact on services. Actual fraud within the SSA's budget is estimated to be less than 1%.
- Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has proposed a significant reduction in staff at the Social Security Administration (SSA), aiming for a 12% decrease in workforce, as part of the future tech-driven approach to government efficiency under President Trump's mandate.
- Disability policy, retirement, and other support components at the SSA may experience a reduction in staff, a move that could potentially impact the service's ability to efficiently assist individuals with disabilities and those seeking retirement benefits.
- The decision to reduce the staff of the SSA's IT team is causing concern as it may lead to a lack of adequate tech support for the surge in website traffic resulting from the reduction of phone operations.
- Agencies like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and other federal government bodies could likely face further changes aligning with the tech-oriented focus of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by high-profile tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
