Social Security payment delays: Why millions face disruption in 2025

Millions of Americans are facing serious disruptions to their Social Security benefits, including delayed payments, missing deposits, and even being wrongly marked as deceased—part of a nationwide crisis sparked by deep federal cutbacks and failed tech upgrades.

What’s causing the delays?

At the heart of the issue is the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump-era advisory panel now led by Elon Musk. Under its direction, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has:

• Cut over 7,000 jobs
• Slashed its 2025 budget by more than $800 million
• Shuttered field offices and civil rights units
• Implemented an unstable anti-fraud system
• Continued operating on 65-year-old COBOL software

These changes have broken core systems. Between March and April, the SSA experienced repeated website outages, a glitch that falsely told SSI recipients they were no longer receiving benefits, and nationwide processing delays.

People declared dead—while still alive

Perhaps the most shocking error: the government added millions of living Americans to the Death Master File, a federal database used to verify deaths. One SSA employee in upstate New York described a “resurrection process” now required to reinstate wrongly terminated benefits.

“When they mark someone dead on the Social Security record, it stops their life,” said Rennie Glasgow, a union representative at SSA. “It stops everything.”

Overwhelmed field offices face hours-long lines, frequent system crashes, and operate with just a fraction of their service windows open.

Delays now, worse to come?

Martin O’Malley, former SSA commissioner, warned that benefit interruptions could spread nationwide within 90 days if staffing and IT systems remain unrestored. Currently, all new claims and manual reviews are at high risk for delay.

A recent April 2025 incident saw Group 4 retirees (born between the 21st and 31st of any month) receiving their scheduled payments days late—if at all. In May, SSA expects to issue two SSI payments, which experts warn could further strain the system.

Who is affected?

More than 72 million Americans rely on Social Security, including retirees, disabled workers, widows, and low-income families. With DOGE pushing for more early retirements and privatization options rumored, the stability of the system is under growing scrutiny.

–> Benefits paid today April 24, 2025

What can you do?

To minimize disruption:

• Apply early: Start claims processing as soon as possible
• Monitor accounts: Check SSA.gov regularly for payment updates
• Use digital tools: Many services are available through the mySocialSecurity portal
• Contact SSA: If you experience an issue, call or visit your local office with documentation

Bottom line: Social Security is facing a historic operational crisis. Whether due to tech failures or deliberate cost-cutting, the system’s ability to deliver timely benefits is collapsing. Beneficiaries are urged to act now, stay informed, and demand transparency from federal leaders.

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