Commentary: The Trump administration's attack on Social Security is looking worse

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There’s some good news related to the Trump administration’s concerted attack on the Social Security Administration: Thus far, it doesn’t appear to have significantly affected the delivery of benefits.Checks are still going out and payments into beneficiaries’ bank accounts are still arriving on time.Beyond that, however, the system is going to hell.

While Social Security appears to still be working well — superficially — under the surface the agency is suffering through a period of unprecedented turmoil.That’s the gist of a new report by Kathleen Romig and Devin O’Connor, Social Security experts at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.Serious data security lapses, evidently orchestrated by DOGE officials, currently employed as SSA employees,...risk the security of over 300 million Americans’ Social Security data.— Social Security whistleblower Chuck BorgesUnder the Trump administration, Romig and O’Connor observe, the Social Security Administration’s regional office staff “have been mostly eliminated, robbing front-line staff of key supports.” Headquarters staffing has been cut by nearly half, including technology experts.

Field office and call center staff also have been eviscerated.Few departments within SSA have been spared — not even the office tasked with helping members of Congress assist their constituents with Social Security issues and helping to develop legislation.Get the latest from Michael HiltzikCommentary on economics and more from a Pulitzer Prize winner.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.The so-called Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs was cut to three employees from 50.

Constituent caseworkers in congressional offices have been receiving “bounce-back emails and no-replies from legislative liaison offices that were previously responsive to congressional inquiries,” ...