Social Safety is an important supply of earnings for seniors.
The Social Safety Administration stories that advantages present about 31% of the earnings of individuals over 65, and round 12% of males and 15% of girls 65 and older get 90% or extra of their earnings from Social Safety.
Retirees who depend upon these advantages, and staff who will want them sooner or later, must know of any threats to Social Safety’s future.
Sadly, as billionaire Mark Cuban has repeatedly warned, severe points with Social Safety can lead to hidden cuts to advantages.
Right here’s the issue Cuban has highlighted, together with particulars on the way it may have an effect on susceptible retirees who want their Social Safety checks.
The Social Safety Administration scaled down a key help for recipients.
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Mark Cuban has warned it is a hidden reduce to Social Safety
Mark Cuban has repeatedly sounded the alarm about Social Safety adjustments that he believes will lead to a hidden reduce to advantages.
“The administration is removing phone support for Social Security recipients,” he said on Bluesky last year. “[This is] making it more difficult for seniors to get their checks. It’s a back-door way to cut SS benefits. Horrific.”
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He additionally posted a warning on X relating to the impression of adjustments to Social Safety’s cellphone help program.
“Got to give Doge credit for being the first to cut entitlements. End telephone support for Social Security, cut dozens of SS offices and make Grandma and Grandpa finally get online to confirm their payments. What an amazing back door way to cut payments! Gonna be some upset seniors at town halls!”
Cuban’s warning is particularly related, given latest Social Safety adjustments
The Administration reversed (at the very least quickly) its efforts to finish cellphone help amid public outcry.
Nonetheless, Cuban’s warning issues: Social Safety has dramatically lowered the variety of employees members accessible to assist seniors and is now altering the way in which during which retirees entry help.
Associated: AARP sounds alarm on main Social Safety downside
The Heart for American Progress launched a report in January 2026 that reveals the entire variety of cuts to Social Safety employees. These embody the next.
- Between President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January and November of 2025, the employees at Social Safety was lowered by greater than 11%, with 6,645 individuals leaving the company.
- In 33 states, the Social Safety Administration noticed an enormous employees discount, with 10% fewer staff in 2025 in contrast with 2024.
- Some states noticed greater cuts, with Wyoming shedding 19% of employees in 2025 and Missouri and Wisconsin every shedding 14%.
- Some rural discipline workplaces needed to shut totally on account of staffing cuts, and others misplaced at the very least 1 / 4 of their employees.
When employees members are reduce and choices for help are eroded, this finally ends up serving as a de facto reduce to advantages, as a result of seniors can’t get the assistance they should declare their advantages or to know the total vary of advantages to which they’re entitled.
Social Safety is altering workflows beginning March 7
With employees layoffs already a problem, Social Safety can also be shifting ahead with adjustments this yr that may alter the way in which work is carried out. This might additionally damage advantages.
Morningstar reported that the company’s lowered workforce will now be accountable for dealing with circumstances on a nationwide foundation as a substitute of claims being dealt with inside native discipline workplaces. The company is launching a Nationwide Appointment Scheduling Heart and Nationwide Workload Administration, so buyer points might be routed nationwide as a substitute of being resolved regionally.
“They can’t make up for the loss of 7,000 staff with this method,” Wendell Primus, visiting fellow, Heart on Well being Coverage on the impartial suppose tank Brookings Establishment, informed Morningstar. “Even before all the changes, we needed more staff. We had backlogs. This is boneheaded and stupid.”
Regardless of these concerns, this is the path Social Security has taken, and those handling calls nationwide may not be familiar with local rules that will affect claimants.
As Cuban has warned, this could very well mean retirees can’t fully access benefits, jeopardizing their economic well-being.
Associated: Suze Orman sounds alarm on new Medicare, Social Safety downside
