Social Security Highlights From Trump’s First 100 Days — How They Impact You

President Trump’s first 100 days in office have brought sweeping changes to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

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In its work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the SSA is on a new course that prioritizes improving customer service, reducing waste, fraud and abuse while optimizing its workforce to better serve the public, the SSA announced in April.

Here’s what’s happening in the SSA — and how it could impact you and your Social Security benefits.

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Implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act

The SSA has implemented the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA), which is a law that repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The WEP and GPO reduced benefits for 2.2 million people who received a pension based on work not covered by Social Security. The SSA paid over $14.8 billion in retroactive payments.

This will only impact those who received a pension from work where they did not pay into Social Security, such as teachers, firefighters and police officers.

To find out if the SSFA affects you, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) suggested reviewing your work history, especially if you’ve held a public sector job or receive a pension from one. They also recommended reaching out to the SSA to get details on how your specific benefits may be impacted.

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Reduced Spending

The SSA implemented new “common-sense approaches” to cut costs by over $1 billion for fiscal year 2025. This included areas such as payroll, information technology, contracts and grants, real property, printing, travel and purchase card policies, according to the SSA.

These cost-saving measures are intended to make the SSA more efficient and better able to deliver service. However, the Center for American Progress (CAP) pointed out that cuts to the SSA could lead to delayed or missed payments, longer wait times or slower response times.

Cuts to Staffing

The SSA has a staffing target of 50,000 — a 7,000 reduction to its workforce. The CAP reported reduced staff levels likely mean greater delays. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren also recently said the workforce reduction and chaos have led to an increase in mistakes and a reduction in available support for correcting them.

Updates to Phone Services

The SSA began rolling out a modern telecommunications platform on its National 800 Number. This will allow the agency to better handle calls to field offices while providing more self-service options. According to the SSA, there have already been improvements in office answer rates and average speed of answer.

For retirees, this could mean faster access to support when questions arise about monthly payments, benefit adjustments or account issues. Complete rollout is expected by the end of summer 2025.

The SSA has also improved fraud prevention tools for claims filed over the phone. This adds an extra layer of protection against identity theft and unauthorized access to retirees’ Social Security benefits.

Improved Accuracy of Aged Records

After reports of people who are “implausibly old to be living,” the SSA is improving the accuracy of death data. This could also prevent fraudulent claims that could strain program resources.  According to the SSA, this is an important anti-fraud measure, as criminals may use those individuals’ information to commit fraud.

Recover Social Security Overpayments

The SSA is increasing how much it withholds from monthly benefits when overpayments occur, raising the default rate from 10% to 50%, according to an SSA emergency message. This means retirees who owe money to SSA may see a larger deduction from their checks each month.

The agency is also restarting the Treasury Offset Program (TOP), which allows the government to collect old Social Security debts, such as overpayments, by withholding federal payments like tax refunds. For retirees with unresolved debts, this could result in unexpected reductions in benefits or other federal payments.

Improve Payment Accuracy

The SSA is rolling out a new system called the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE), which automatically pulls wage data from payroll providers. This allows the agency to quickly and more accurately verify income and reduce the chances of overpayments or errors.

For retirees who still work or have fluctuating income, PIE means fewer reporting headaches and a lower risk of accidental overpayment that could later lead to withheld benefits.

Expand Health Information Technology

The SSA is expanding its Health Information Technology (Health IT) program, which enables the agency to access medical records for disability claims electronically.

For those applying for disability, this helps streamline the determination process, which could allow applicants to receive decisions and potentially benefits more quickly.

Cost Reduction and Enhancement of Social Security Number Verification

The Electronic Consent Based Social Security Number Verification (eCBSV) service, which helps financial institutions and government agencies verify identities, is getting an overhaul. The plan will reduce operating costs and lower user fees to allow for greater accessibility. For retirees, this could also mean smoother and faster identity verification, resulting in fewer delays and identity-related errors.

Rollout of the Hearing Recording and Transcriptions System

The SSA is completing its nationwide rollout of the new Hearing Recording and Transcriptions (HeaRT) system, which replaces outdated equipment with advanced, AI-powered software.

This upgrade will help create more accurate hearing transcripts, and for retirees involved in appeals or disability hearings, HeaRT can mean faster, more reliable records of their proceedings.

Raise Awareness Against Scams

The SSA, in partnership with its Office of the Inspector General, is stepping up efforts to combat Social Security-related scams, especially those targeting retirees. For retirees, staying informed is a must. Scam allegations increased by 22.1% from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024, according to the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG). Scammers often pose as SSA employees to trick individuals into giving up personal information or making payments.

Improve Communication and Transparency

The SSA has ramped up efforts to keep the public informed about how the agency is performing. It now publishes key performance metrics directly on its website at ssa.gov/ssa-performance. These updates give retirees and the broader public a clearer view of how the SSA is doing.

For retirees, this increased transparency allows them to stay informed about any improvements or delays that may impact their benefits.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Social Security Highlights From Trump’s First 100 Days — How They Impact You