AARP Voices Concerns Over SSA Cuts

White House plans to cut 7,000 employees, close 47 offices

By Danielle M. Smith - Public News Service
The Tube City Almanac
April 23, 2025
Posted in: State & Region

The state branch of the AARP is voicing concerns about plans by the Trump Administration to cut 7,000 jobs from the U.S. Social Security Administration.

The move is being spearheaded by the temporary office known as the “Department of Government Efficiency” as part of the White House’s efforts to trim what it calls “waste and fraud.”

According to AARP, more than one in five Pennsylvanians — or about 3 million residents — get monthly Social Security payments.

The Associated Press reports that “DOGE” plans to close 47 Social Security Administration offices across the country. No Pittsburgh-area offices are on the list. There are 1,200 Social Security field offices in the U.S.

Nora Dowd Eisenhower, volunteer state president of AARP Pennsylvania, said all the changes have left many beneficiaries confused and worried about potential office closures, employee layoffs and reduced services.

"We are working to make sure that Americans receive the Social Security they have worked hard for and paid for over their entire working lives," Dowd Eisenhower said.

Social Security benefits contribute almost $63 billion a year to Pennsylvania's economy through retirement, survivors and disability payments, according to AARP, all of which boost consumer spending, business sales, and job creation across the state.

Dowd Eisenhower pointed out the Social Security Administration had planned big changes to its phone services in March that would have caused delays and hassles but the decision was reversed this month after intense pushback. She noted AARP members have long been vocal about the need for better customer service from the Social Security Administration.

"Last year, four out of five older Americans, across party lines, supported increased funding for the Social Security Administration as a way to improve customer service," Dowd Eisenhower said.

President Donald Trump's senior adviser Elon Musk claims Social Security could be cut by $500 billion to $700 billion without reducing benefits.

Dowd Eisenhower added AARP is urging Congress to make sure the Social Security Administration makes payments on time, as it has for nearly 90 years, and provides quality customer service by phone, online and in-person.

Danielle M. Smith is a producer for Public News Service, where this story first appeared. An award-winning radio journalist/personality with more than a decade of experience in broadcast media, she is a former audio journalist with American Urban Radio Networks and Sheridan Broadcasting Networks who also hosts a weekly community affairs show “Good News” on WGBN (1360 AM/98.9 FM).

Originally published April 23, 2025.

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