By Tami Luhby, CNN

(CNN) — The Social Security Administration faces a daunting challenge as it prepares to decrease its technology team by nearly one-third at a time when the agency grapples with increasingly complex and fragile computer systems that are experiencing more frequent crashes than ever before.

In a significant move, top executives within the agency’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, commonly known as OCIO, have been instructed to implement a 30% staff reduction as part of a sweeping reduction-in-force initiative affecting federal agencies nationwide. According to insider reports from two former staff members, the office initially employed around 3,200 workers; however, it has already experienced a loss of hundreds of seasoned employees due to retirement and voluntary separation packages. This attrition has occurred even as the agency has expanded its workforce by absorbing workers from other divisions that were dissolved and absorbed into OCIO.

This planned downsizing emerges in a context where the agency’s historically glitch-ridden technology is currently suffering from an unprecedented number of outages, as reported by multiple current and former employees, alongside advocates who closely monitor the situation. Adding to this strain is the rising number of concerned Americans trying to access the public “my Social Security” website, calling the customer service line, and visiting local offices to seek assistance amid the turmoil of the agency’s large-scale restructuring efforts.

In just this week, the “my Social Security” website was offline for several hours, displaying a notification that read, “Online Service Not Available.” In addition, a technology update related to identity authentication led to an extended outage affecting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries, preventing them from logging into their online accounts. According to a former employee, this incident left some low-income older Americans and individuals living with disabilities receiving incorrect messages indicating that they were not currently receiving payments, as detailed in an internal memo that was reviewed by CNN.

“Those are the risks,” said the former employee. “When you lose staff with crucial institutional knowledge, you find yourself unprepared when issues arise, making recovery efforts both more difficult and time-consuming. The inevitable outcome is a deterioration of service quality for American people as the existing staff struggle to manage increasing workloads.”

The ongoing leadership of the agency is currently in the hands of acting Commissioner Leland Dudek while Trump’s nominee, Frank Bisignano, awaits confirmation. The agency has not responded to requests for comments regarding these developments.

Customer Service Challenges

Employees in field offices have reported experiencing a growing number of glitches that significantly hinder their ability to assist clients effectively. Two union representatives, who work closely with local offices, confirmed to CNN that they are observing a rise in internal notifications about software malfunctions that are presently being addressed.

Angela Digeronimo, executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220, which represents Social Security employees in various offices, stated, “When the system encounters issues, we lose access to critical records required to process claims or help beneficiaries resolve problems related to their benefits.” She emphasized the inability to provide satisfactory responses to beneficiaries when technological failures disrupt access to vital tools.

The growing frequency of these technological issues has prompted warnings from several former Social Security executives – most notably Martin O’Malley, who served as commissioner during the final year of the Biden administration – that disruptions in payments may occur in the coming months. With more than 73 million retirees, individuals with disabilities, and others relying on Social Security benefits monthly, such predictions elevate concerns among the public.

In response to these challenges, the Trump administration has set its sights on the agency’s unionized technology workforce. Recently, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling many federal workers’ collective bargaining rights, making it easier to terminate employees or reassign their responsibilities. While Trump asserted that this measure was designed to bolster national security, the accompanying White House fact sheet noted that “certain federal unions have declared war on President Trump’s agenda.”

According to Shelley Washington, executive vice president at AFGE Local 1923, the only union employees impacted at Social Security would be those numbering approximately 1,300 in OCIO. This total accounts for those who accepted various incentives to exit the agency. The agency communicated to AFGE that it is evaluating the implications of the executive order.

Additionally, the administration has initiated legal action against multiple AFGE locals in federal court in Texas, seeking to extricate several agencies, including Social Security, from their collective bargaining agreements.

The potential absence of a union contract would facilitate the Social Security Administration’s ability to replace OCIO personnel with staff who may be “more compliant to their directives,” as expressed by Washington when discussing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s intentions to gain access to databases containing the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans—a move that has currently been stalled by a federal court ruling.

It is worth noting that Social Security’s outdated public and internal systems have been known for recurring outages. During a recent weekly operational meeting, which was made available on the agency’s YouTube channel, Dudek inquired if there had been any dismissals that would hinder the operations of the “my Social Security” platform or its databases. Deputy Chief Information Officer Wayne Lemon replied in the negative.

Dudek subsequently questioned whether the team had sufficient resources to maintain system stability, to which Lemon reassured him that they currently possess what they need. He explained, “There’s nothing particularly unusual about these outages historically, as they have occurred before.”

Dudek conceded that many Americans are understandably concerned about their personal information and benefits amidst these technological issues. “We are aware that many customers, many Americans, are uneasy right now, and it’s essential for them to know that we are safeguarding their data and will continuously protect it,” he emphasized. “We also strive to ensure that their earnings records accurately represent the benefits they will receive now and in the future.”

The Complexity of Computer Systems

The impending cuts within OCIO are part of the agency’s broader objective to reduce its overall workforce by 7,000 employees, constituting roughly 12% of its staff. However, critics point out that this reduction appears to lack strategic foresight, raising concerns about the remaining employees’ capacity to manage ongoing technological issues effectively, according to former officials and advocates.

Social Security’s foundational computer systems rely on an obsolete programming language known as COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language), which is no longer taught—rendering existing employees with experience in this language even more indispensable for the continuity of technological operations and the resolution of issues that may arise. Furthermore, the agency operates approximately 3,600 interconnected applications critical for its functionality.

However, with the ongoing attrition of staff well-versed in these systems, there is an increasing risk that failures to comprehensively test and understand the ramifications of any modifications made will lead to outages. One former official asserted that it becomes exceedingly challenging to diminish staff levels until the complexity of the computer systems is simplified. “You can’t eliminate positions before streamlining application complexities,” he noted. “The agency seems to be approaching this in a counterproductive manner.”

Reports have surfaced indicating that the Department of Government Efficiency intends to rewrite Social Security’s COBOL code expeditiously. This proposal has raised alarm bells among former officials and advocates who argue that such rash actions could yield devastating consequences. Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, described the initiative as “reckless,” cautioning it could set the stage for catastrophic outcomes.

The Role of AI legalese decoder

Given the intricacies and regulatory challenges highlighted in the ongoing changes at the Social Security Administration, stakeholders—including employees affected by the workforce reductions, beneficiaries concerned about service disruptions, and advocacy groups—may benefit from leveraging tools like the AI legalese decoder. Utilized properly, AI legalese decoder can aid in demystifying complex legal language and policies surrounding employment rights, collective bargaining agreements, and the legal implications of the agency’s restructuring efforts.

This powerful tool allows users to analyze and decode legal jargon into comprehensible language, enabling affected parties to better understand their rights and the implications of executive orders or lawsuits filed against the agency. For those navigating the potential impacts of union-related changes, the AI legalese decoder can offer clarity on how these shifts might affect employment stability, benefit accessibility, and the overall landscape of services provided to beneficiaries. In a time fraught with uncertainty, empowering individuals with knowledge is essential to fostering a supportive environment for both current employees and those reliant on Social Security benefits.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.