In 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) underwent a rapid series of administrative, staffing, and policy changes following the inauguration of the second Trump administration and its creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). These changes included the largest-ever SSA staffing cut (Romig & O’Connor, 2025a), the consolidation of ten regional offices down to four, the push to move customer service activities online, the expansion of automated and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based services, and frequently changing policies regarding overpayment withholding rates and access to walk-in services at field offices….
In this report, we offer findings from a rigorous qualitative study to contribute to an evidenced-based understanding of the effects of these changes. Between July and September 2025, we interviewed 52 attorney and non-attorney benefits specialists at 32 organizations that assist claimants with obtaining and maintaining SSI and SSDI benefits. Collectively, the organizations included in this study represent over 8,000 SSI and SSDI claimants across the country. To contextualize our findings in the rapidly changing policy landscape, we draw on reporting, SSA records such as press releases and emergency messages, and other research.
The analysis thus far of the impacts of SSA’s policy and process changes on disability benefits is limited but compelling. An Urban Institute analysis of SSA data through July 2025 shows that disability applications have decreased by 7 percent in the last year, a possible symptom of longer wait times and field office closures (Smalligan, 2025). While SSA claims to have reduced the backlog of disability claims, the smaller backlog may come at a cost to claimants seeking benefits: SSA is denying more disability applications at the initial stage. These early findings suggest the DOGE disruptions at SSA are associated with meaningful reductions in disability benefits under this administration.
Many of SSA’s changes to customer service processes appear aligned with SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano’s stated goals of a “digital-first” approach to SSA operations, which include moving services online, automating some phone interactions, reducing call wait times, and halving in-person field office visits (Rein et al., 2025; Alms, 2025b). These goals stand the chance to improve SSA customer service for a broad swath of claimants and their representatives. But the associated changes may also reduce accessibility of SSA services for people who are unable to navigate the digital systems without human assistance. Reduced access to SSA services may result in fewer people being able to successfully claim and maintain disability benefits.
In September, the Urban Institute published a report exploring SSA’s claim it reduced the backlog of disability claims (Smalligan, 2025). The report brings to light two trends from state-level data regarding the reduced backlog: a decrease in new claims and an increase in denials of initial applications. Though small declines in applications are not out of the ordinary, the report questions what other factors, such as access barriers, may be contributing to the 7 percent decrease in fiscal year 2025. While the number of cases processed by SSA did increase, the approval rate dropped almost 3 percent in fiscal year 2025, an unusual rate of change. While the report does not definitively say why the number of initial denials has increased, the trend is cause for concern. Contrary to SSA’s claims, the reduction in backlog could be stemming from a reduction in the number of applications due to access barriers and an increase in initial denials, not increased efficiency at SSA.
Outside of SSA, related government agencies have taken steps that directly impact SSI and SSDI applications, including the elimination of the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery Technical Assistance (SOAR TA) Center, on August 18.
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