Social Security Sounds the Alarm on Possible Payment Delays

Social Security workers are sounding the alarm that some beneficiaries could see payment delays as the agency undergoes significant changes in the next few weeks.

Employees at the Social Security Administration (SSA) told USA Today that thousands of Americans could see delays or stopped checks, as officials have instructed workers to focus on roughly 900,000 complicated cases this month.

Why It Matters

Nearly 70 million Americans rely on Social Security checks each month.

As the federal agency implements changes ordered by President Donald Trump’s administration, any delays in payments could make a considerable impact on recipients, who often need the money for basics like housing and food.

What To Know

SSA employees told USA Today that Social Security recipients who are making simple changes like location or bank account updates could face a longer wait than usual. This will potentially cause delays as the agency focuses on the 900,000 remaining cases, courtesy of the Social Security Fairness Act.

“The changes are a response to the Social Security Fairness Act, which provided benefits for those who paid into the system but were otherwise ineligible for Social Security, including police, firefighters, teachers, and other public servants,” Drew Powers, founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek.

“More than 2 million of these cases were straightforward enough to be automated, but the remaining 900,000 claims are more complicated and must be approved by hand.”

Newsweek reached out to the SSA for comment via email on Friday.

The White House has said the focus on these cases should not affect current recipients, but employees said it could push back simple changes like updating direct deposit information or Medicaid billing issues.

Workers have also been instructed to prioritize the updated payments under the act, which allows retired public service workers to receive increased funds.

“Using automation, SSA has already expedited over $15.1 billion in long-delayed retroactive payments to more than 2.3 million individuals affected,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said previously.

Workers say they have a deadline to update the remaining Social Security Fairness Act claims by July 1, creating a backlog for those with other issues.

What People Are Saying

Powers also told Newsweek: “The new directive to prioritize Social Security Fairness Act claims, along with staffing cuts enacted by DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency], is creating a backlog to complete other claims and service work like mailing address and direct deposit changes. These delays could be the difference between receiving your check or not.”

Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “For months, we’ve been hearing the only cuts to Social Security would be to administrative offices, not to benefits. However, lost in the discussion was how these administrative cuts could provide their own series of problems. Applications for new beneficiaries, account changes for existing ones, and every issue in between these have to be processed, and with fewer employees to assist, delays could be significant.”

What Happens Next

DOGE, created in the early days of Trump’s second term, has set out to cut 12 percent of the SSA staff, offering buyouts for those who took early retirement.

The remaining workers are being offered weekend overtime to process claims, according to USA Today.

“As of right now, there is no need for concern, but the concerns should motivate those receiving benefits to start the process of enrolling, making changes, or anything else as soon as possible. And, most importantly, be prepared to wait,” Beene said.