Biden Signature Laws Causing Increases Social Security for Retirements
Many have seen an increase in Social Security payments thanks to laws aimed at amending years of benefits cuts for public sector workers.
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At a recent internal meeting, Social Security Administrators projected several numbers onto the screen to explain the notable trends. Compared to the same month a year ago, new benefits claims increased by more than 15% in March.
Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek rang out to ask the presenter if the charts showed what he thought. Americans are now trying to advocate for Social Security, as they worry about the stability of their future retirement trust funds.
“Fear has driven people to claim profits faster because they fear they won’t claim profits at all,” he said.
“Yes,” the staff replied. “You’re exactly right.”
Trump and Doji throw social security into a turbulent state
The new Trump administration has cast a tumultuous social security shift with staff cuts, rules change, website suspension and a cascade of leadership shuffling.
Social Security instability could spell trouble for millions of Americans who receive benefits, and millions of Americans who will depend on them in the future.
As a result of that fear, thousands of Americans appear to be insisting on Social Security benefits early. Pending Social Security claims were 580,887 in March 2025, up from 500,527 in March 2024.
Administrators shared the data at the operational meeting on March 28th. This was featured on YouTube with a gesture of transparency. The claims spike was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The increase in billing is abnormal, an unidentified manager told a colleague.
Fear of the future of Social Security may be just one reason why claims are on the rise. In an email to USA Today on April 29th, Social Security officials list other “important reasons” people are currently filing claims. among them:
- A major wave of baby boomers has entered retirement, sparking a surge in new claims.
- The Social Security Equity Act sparked another wave of claims from public workers in 2025.
Many Americans fear the future of social security
But obviously, fear has captivated many Americans about the stability of social security. At a meeting on March 28, administrators spoke about the fearsome beneficiaries flooding the field office with questions about benefits.
Some visitors sought certified copies of their revenue records despite the information being readily available online.
“Why are they coming? They’re nervous,” one administrator said.
Summarying what he had heard at one point in the meeting, Commissioner Dudek said, “I think we have a lot of very uneasy American customers right now.”
President Trump has repeatedly pledged to not harm Social Security, a program that is a very sacred program for the American people who most politicians consider it uncontrollable. But Musk and Doji have heard of the agency and supporters of the program say they are on the surface looking for evidence of waste and fraud.
In a release on April 29, the agency said it had identified more than $1 billion in cost savings through a “new common sense approach” including payroll, contracts and grants, and travel and purchase card policies.
The release said the agency has modernised its phone network, increased fraud prevention, broke death records and improved payment accuracy. Authorities stressed that the leaked agency plan suggests that the office is being considered for closure, but that the local office has not been permanently closed.
Long waits have become self-fulfilling prophecies
In recent weeks, news of Social Security disruption has mobilized generous Americans to call or visit agencies, resulting in even more confusion. Eventually, long waits and oppressed field office rumours became self-fulfilling prophecies.
The Reddit community, dedicated to social security features, has recently conversation threads with titles like “2.5 hours hold, no answers,” and “advice for people who are currently labelled as accidentally dead?”
Even some veteran Social Security observers worry that important records could be lost amid the ruckus of revolving door agency leadership and Doge’s cost-cutting riot.
“Doge’s attack on Social Security is very unprecedented and frankly, it was so strange and shocked everyone,” said Elaine Kamarck, founding director of the Brookings Institute’s Effective Public Control Center. “I think people are nervous that things might go away.”
Kamarck has advised his friends to download copies of their Social Security revenue records. This is a document showing how much you earned in your lifetime.
At the first indication of trouble when reaching an agency or solving profit issues, she said, “Make sure your lawmakers get involved.” She said members of Congress are extremely sensitive to constitutive complaints about Social Security.
Think carefully about early claims about social security
As the increased claims suggests, if thousands of Americans claim Social Security earlier than planned, claimants could be missing out on thousands of dollars in potential benefits.
At age 62, you can claim Social Security retirement benefits. However, the longer you make a statement, the bigger the monthly checks will be. The monthly amount increases every year until you are 70 years old. For most Americans who live above the age of 80, financial experts say it’s better to claim profits later.
“Many Americans are properly wary of the chaos that Elon Musk and Donald Trump have produced at the Social Security Agency,” said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, dedicated to protecting and expanding Social Security.
“The right response is not to claim profits before you’re ready,” she said.