Social Security Announces Workforce and Organization Plans
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: February 28, 2025
Consistent with recent executive orders issued by the White House, the Social Security Administration will continue to implement efficiencies and reduce costs, with a renewed focus on mission critical work for the American people.
The agency plans to reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure, with a significant focus on functions and employees who do not directly provide mission critical services. Social Security recently set a staffing target of 50,000, down from the current level of approximately 57,000 employees. Rumor of a 50 percent reduction is false.
Initial steps to reduce the workforce included offering a limited number of employees the opportunity to leave the agency under the Deferred Resignation Program and Voluntary Early Retirement (VERA).
Yesterday, the agency announced to all employees that Social Security would soon implement agency-wide organizational restructuring that will include significant workforce reductions. The announcement includes offering Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments (VSIP) to all employees on a first come first serve basis and expanding VERA to all employees. Both VERA and VSIP require employees to opt in and to separate from the agency by specific dates.
Social Security anticipates that much of the staff reductions needed to reach the target of 50,000 will come from retirement, VSIP, and resignation. Additional reductions will come from reduction-in-force (RIF) actions that could include abolishment of organizations and positions. RIF also can include directed reassignments from one position to another position in the agency. Agencies are required to submit their RIF plans to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) by March 13, 2025. No date has been set when a RIF might begin after OPM approves the plan.
SSA has operated with a regional structure consisting of 10 offices, which is no longer sustainable. The agency will reduce the regional structure in all agency components down to four regions. The organizational structure at Headquarters also is outdated and inefficient. SSA will now have seven Deputy Commissioner level organizations.
These steps prioritize customer service by streamlining redundant layers of management, reducing non-mission critical work, and potential reassignment of employees to customer service positions. Also supporting this priority is looking for efficiencies and other opportunities to reduce costs across all spending categories, including information technology and contractor spending. SSA is committed to ensure this plan has a positive effect on the delivery of Social Security services.
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Tito C.
Any efficiencies that can be achieved while executing the core mission of the Agency is to every American benefit. Besides personnel, it appears that there also opportunities for modernization of equipment and surveillance of abuse/fraud and update of records.
Jeff K.
Very much appreciate the recognition of the need for finding efficiencies through a total review of the entire SSA business. Continue emphasis on customer service. Recommend:
1. Conduct a thorough review of all individuals currently drawing disability payments to identify fraud. There is too much funding of payments without doing an annual review to determine if those currently drawing should continue to draw a monthly check. In addition to conducting an internal review, perhaps implementing an incentive program to identify those who are fraudulently drawing.
2. Shouldn’t we consider removing the cap on personal income which can be taxed. I used to be one whose wages exceeded the limit and believed that the higher income should be taxed without a cap as those of us with higher incomes typically have financial investments and retirements which make us less reliant upon a SS retirement check. These two areas would strengthen SS with higher incomes being fully taxed and reducing fraud. Thank you for all you are doing to strengthen SS.
Phyllis S.
Am I going to lose my Social Security payments?
Sage
Possibly. These ‘reforms’ are not being done transparently, so there’s no way to know at this time.
NL
Use of the word “bloated” in the statement above changes the post content from fact to propaganda: “The agency plans to reduce the size of its “bloated” workforce and organizational structure…”
Elizabeth
Are you kidding me? Did Dear Leader or one of his cronies write this nonsense about the “bloated work force” at Social Security? No one anywhere, ever, has accused SS of over staffing prior to Trump’s misguided, unsupported, unsustainable BS. JHC, blink twice if you need us to help you escape. Clearly, you’re being held captive and this blog post is a scream for help.
Freddy G.
Likely will create efficiency, but the agency needs to focus on improving customer service. Calling SSA is usually a minimum one hour experience, after which you may or may not end up with a knowledgeable agent. New agents need a better training program!
Pat R.
FUCK YOU President Musk and Putin’s Pussy Puppet Felon Trump!
Christopher C.
Emperor Musk.
Nathan b.
Can I as a ssa recieptant take an early out by getting all money predicted to b owed to me in one lump sum asking for a friend
Karen G.
I want to show my support for this administration by saying, I am 100% behind Trump, Vance, Musk, and the rest of the great team carrying out the promises made by our great President Trump.