By Judd Matsunaga, Esq.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal (March 14, 2025), consumer sentiment fell to its lowest level since November 2022. “Americans are increasingly worried about the potential economic impacts of government layoffs, funding cuts, immigration restrictions and tariffs, which are already raising prices in the produce aisle at the supermarket.”

Sound awful? You bet! But here’s what I’m concerned about — Social Security.

The Social Security Act, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Aug. 14, 1935, established a federally administered social insurance system for the aged, financed through payroll taxes, and initially focused on retirement benefits, later expanding to include unemployment insurance, and disability payments. For nearly 90 years, Americans have relied on Social Security for stability in retirement, in case of disability, or when they lose a working spouse.

Most people receiving Social Security have paid into it all their lives. Over 70 million people receive Social Security. Of those, 55% are women, 80% are older adults, and approximately 10% are workers with disabilities and survivors of deceased workers. Since I’ve paid into the system my entire life, I’ve always thought that Social Security will help fund my retirement — but now I’m not so sure.

Since President Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20, he has proposed or initiated changes impacting how Social Security functions, including closing offices and offering buyouts. (Source: www.kiplinger.com, March 16, 2025).

In collaboration with billionaire Elon Musk and DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), President Trump has directed the General Services Administration (GSA) to terminate leases on approximately 7,500 federal offices, including those of the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Trump and his billionaire Cabinet are making their plans clear: tax handouts for the ultra-wealthy and mega-corporations, and cuts to life-saving earned benefits for the rest of us.

The SSA is already at its lowest staffing level in 25 years. Most offices are currently underutilized or closed. The closures are raising questions about the accessibility of services for beneficiaries.

President Trump has proposed two major changes to Social Security that will cause benefits cuts in as little as 6 years: eliminating the taxation of Social Security benefits for higher-income recipients and exempting tips from taxation. Lowering taxes always has allure; but the flip-side causes significant losses to the Social Security program.

According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, these two tax proposals would drain Medicare and Social Security of revenue, move up the insolvency date of the Social Security retirement trust fund from 2034 to 2033, and accelerate the insolvency of the Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund from 2031 to 2025. If these provisions are enacted, Social Security benefits could face a 21% across-the-board cut as early as 2033.

At the beginning of the month, the SSA announced plans for a “massive” restructuring that aims to reduce the agency’s workforce of roughly 57,000 — already down by more than 9% since 2015 — by another 12.3% to 50,000. That decade has seen a significant decline in SSA customer service, as documented in a July 2024 report from the AARP Public Policy Institute. (Source: www.aarp.org, March 4, 2025)

The SSA also has closed or plans to close nearly four dozen offices in 24 states, according to a listing on the website of DOGE, the federal office that is charged with reducing federal spending. Over the past several weeks, we’ve heard reports of SSA office closures, planned closures, and steep staffing cuts.

The average time it takes to get a decision on an initial claim for disability benefits has more than doubled since 2016, from four to eight months, and callers to Social Security’s toll-free help-line have experienced waits averaging as long as 40 minutes to speak to a representative.

Yet, Social Security remains vital to Americans nationwide and has been a popular and trusted program for nearly 90 years. Closing offices and slashing jobs is a backdoor benefit cut that will prevent older adults from receiving the help they need to apply for and access their benefits, which they rely on to pay rent, buy food, medicine, and meet their basic needs.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has raised alarms over a reported plan to cut the SSA staff by up to 50%. He warned that Musk’s plan to cut offices and staff could signal a push toward privatizing Social Security. The senator claimed that such reductions would result in longer wait times for disability benefits and could lead to thousands of deaths. (Source: www.newsweek.com, March 9, 2025)

In 2005, you might recall that Republicans tried to privatize Social Security under President George W. Bush’s administration. However, they faced a massive resistance and lost badly. Those same worries have sparked a wave of angry constituents at town hall meetings across the country, prompting some Republicans to cancel in-person events with voters.

“We’re hearing from thousands of older Americans who are confused and concerned about their Social Security. They want to know that Social Security will be there for them, for their children, and their grandchildren,” said Nancy LeaMond, chief advocacy and engagement officer for AARP (Source: www.aarp.org, March 4, 2025). “That’s why we’re asking Congress to reassure us that Social Security will be fully funded to make the payments we’ve earned, the claims will be processed on time, and that we have access to the help we need when we need it.”

LeaMond continues, “So whether you’re one of the 68 million Americans who count of Social Security to help cover living expenses and pay bills today, or whether you’re still working and counting on Social Security in the future, Social Security is your hard-earned money. You’ve paid into it with the promise it will be there when you need it.”

In high school, we were taught that the Constitution created three separate branches of the government: the Legislative Branch (Congress), the Executive Branch (President), and the Judicial Branch (Supreme Court). In order to make sure that one branch didn’t become too powerful, the Constitution has “checks and balances” that enable each branch to keep the others in line.

AARP has long called on Congress to give the SSA the resources and the flexibility it needs to address customer-service deficiencies. As Social Security prepares to slash its workforce, AARP is urging its members to call on Congress to protect the program that provides crucial financial support to 68 million retirees, people with disabilities and members of their families.

Trump and Musk seem to be asserting too much power. Remember that Congress has the power to veto Trump and Musk. So AARP is asking members to write to your members of Congress and urge them to stop the dismantling of this critical agency and protect Social Security. “It’s time to speak up right now so that lawmakers can hear us loud and clear. Tell your members of Congress: Social Security must be protected and saved!”

LeaMond says. “We are also encouraging our members to contact their members of Congress and tell them that Social Security must be protected.” AARP has created an easy way for members to contact their congressional representatives. “We want to work with Congress and the administration to get answers and address concerns,” says LeaMond.

The AARP article provided the following sample letter:  

Subject: Protect Social Security

Dear Decision-Maker:

As your constituent and an AARP member, I am calling on you to ensure that Social Security remains reliable and strong — for me, for my children, and for my grandchildren. This year marks Social Security’s 90th anniversary, a milestone that reflects decades of hard work and contributions by Americans like me. I expect Congress to do its part to protect and strengthen Social Security so it remains secure for future generations.

I have paid into Social Security my entire working life with the promise that it would be there when I needed it. But lately, I’m seeing too many reports about long wait times, and concerns about Social Security’s future. Congress has a responsibility to protect Social Security — ensuring it is financially stable and that Americans get good customer service when we need help from Social Security.

As Social Security reaches this historic 90-year mark, I urge you to do everything in your power to protect and strengthen Social Security for years to come. Social Security has been a lifeline for generations of Americans, and it must remain strong for those who rely on it today and for the generations to come. We are counting on you back home to protect our Social Security.

In conclusion, even if Congress is able to keep Trump and Musk from eliminating Social Security for several more years (perhaps decades), Social Security may not be enough for many seniors to live on. If you find that you’re dipping into your savings to make ends meet, I have written Rafu Shimpo articles in the past about: (1) Getting additional income from In-Home-Supportive-Services (IHSS); (2) Not having to pay your property tax under the state controller’s Property Tax Postponement Program; and (3) Tapping the equity in your home with a reverse mortgage.

Please contact me if you need assistance with any (or all) of these resources.

Judd Matsunaga, Esq., is the founding partner of the Law Offices of Matsunaga & Associates, specializing in estate/Medi-Cal planning, probate, personal injury and real estate law. With offices in Torrance, Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Pasadena and Fountain Valley, he can be reached at (800) 411-0546. Opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.