Mastodawn

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 16, 2025

Phase one of Elon's DOGE's Social Security actions is going to be like this,

*Layoffs. Gut the staff so workload can't be processed so new beneficiaries, except maybe retirees, won't get benefits, appeals wont's be processed, etc

*Fraud claim: Find any and every error and clerical error, overpayment, minor, harmless infractions, like bank account balances being over the asset limit for a few days for SSI disabled while their bills are processed, etc, even if not the fault of the beneficiary, and claim fraud and take program banishment, repayment and criminal action against the beneficiary.

*AI Computer photo/social media crosschecking, Run scans on social media to find disabled people doing normal things and claim they are able to do things they have said they are not, and run them up the flagpole for fraud

*Appeals: Gut the administrative law judges so beneficiaries who are able to appeal, can't get their appeals processed.

*Media: Claim high fraud and abuse, claim lower numbers of beneficiaries, etc and media will eat it up without evidence #SocialSecurity #Doge #USPol #SSA

Mark my words/

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 17, 2025

2/ In the mid-aughts, I actually represented someone during a formal conference appeal who had their SSI disability cutoff and received a large overpayment bill from Social Security because their private, elderly landlord only went to the bank and deposited rent checks every few months.

Every so often, SSA does an asset review, bank accounts, cash on hand, etc, of persons receiving SSI.

Her rent payments weren't being withdrawn from her bank account even though she was writing the checks, so, several times per year, she had more cash in her checking account that showed up on her statements she submitted during the asset review than the law permitted her to have at one time.

This had other repercussions, like her Medicaid, which had eligibility attached to her SSI eligibility, being affected, also.

It was finally resolved but it was a big headache that lasted well over a year.

I can see Elon and his #doge boys running computer crosschecking programs, crosschecking bank records, etc, and kicking people off without any due process or understanding and wrecking their lives.

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 18, 2025

3/ Top Social Security official exits after clash with Musk’s DOGE over sensitive data demand #USPol

archive https://archive.ph/UD0Sz for https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/17/doge-social-security-musk/

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 18, 2025

4/ Musk Ally At GSA Demands Admin/Root Access to System That Lets Government Text the Public

404 Media, "Notify.gov contains not just the phone numbers of everyday people but also information about whether they participate in government programs such as Medicaid, which is based on a person's financial situation. In recent days, Musk has become obsessed with the idea of "fraud" in #Medicaid, #Medicare, and #SocialSecurity, and in identifying those he suspects are committing fraud."

A worker resigned in protest rather than giving Thomas Shedd access to Notify.gov, which they said would allow him to see "all personally identifiable information moving through the Notify system, including phone numbers," 404 Media has learned.

Shedd is a former Tesla engineer who now runs Technology Transformation Services (TTS), a group of coders and software engineers within the GSA, who is closely allied with Elon #Musk and #DOGE. #USPol

https://www.404media.co/musk-ally-demands-admin-access-to-system-that-lets-government-text-the-public/

Musk Ally Demands Admin Access to System That Lets Government Text the Public

A worker resigned in protest rather than giving Thomas Shedd access to Notify.gov, which they said would allow him to see "all personally identifiable information moving through the Notiy system, including phone numbers," 404 Media has learned.

404 Media

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 19, 2025

5/ New: DOGE cancel leases and close Columbus, #Ohio Social Security office and the bankruptcy clerks office.

#SocialSecurity
DOGE website shows two Columbus leases canceled

https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/doge-website-shows-two-columbus-leases-canceled

DOGE website shows two Columbus leases canceled

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is set to cut leases on two federal office locations in Columbus.

WSYX

Paul Chambers🚧

6/ Although the Social Security Admin has privacy notices posted throughout, this morning I got a pop-up when I logged in to the system. These policies aren't new. The pop-up, where I got it, and I've been into the system thousands of times both personal and as a beneficiary representative, is new, esp where it popped up at after I logged into the secure part of the website.

There may be a gut DOGE reaction when people, esp the media, starts reporting about them. They aren't new policies.

"We will disclose information under this routine use only in situations in which SSA may enter into a contractual or similar agreement with a third party to assist in accomplishing an Agency function relating to this system of records."

The full pop-up, "Sections 205 and 233 of the Social Security Act, as amended, allow us to collect this information.

Furnishing us this information is voluntary. However, failing to provide all or part of the information may affect the accuracy of your earnings record.

We will use the information you provide to correct your earnings record.

We may also share your information for the following purposes, called routine uses:

To employers or former employers, including State Social Security administrators, for correcting and reconstructing State employee earnings records and for Social security purposes; and

To contractors and other Federal agencies, as necessary, for the purpose of assisting the Social Security Administration (SSA) in the efficient administration of its programs.

We will disclose information under this routine use only in situations in which SSA may enter into a contractual or similar agreement with a third party to assist in accomplishing an Agency function relating to this system of records.

In addition, we may share this information in accordance with the Privacy Act and other Federal laws. For example, where authorized, we may use and disclose this information in computer matching programs, in which our records are compared with other records to establish or verify a person’s eligibility for Federal benefit programs and for repayment of incorrect or delinquent debts under these programs."

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 20, 2025

7/ Social Security is the latest front in Trump and Musk’s attack on trust in government

The MSNBC columnist linked to a February 17 article by Wired's David Gilbert, who debunked the Musk/DOGE claims about Social Security payments and Americans who are 150.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-musk-social-security-doge-government-trust-rcna192793

Social Security is the latest front in Trump and Musk’s attack on trust in government

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is looking to access sensitive information about every American stored in Social Security’s databases.

MSNBC

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 21, 2025

8/ Musk hints at cutting $500 billion from 'entitlements' like #SocialSecurity and #Medicare during a CPAC interview.

https://www.alternet.org/musk-cutting-social-security/ #Doge

Video of interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p3tpSkPc_s

I hate this thread.

Musk hints at cutting $500 billion from 'entitlements' like Social Security and Medicare

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include a statement from Social Security Works.Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — whose net worth is just shy of $400 billion — just dropped a hint that he may be eyeing significant cuts to earned benefits programs like Social Security and Medicare in th...

Alternet.org

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 23, 2025

9/ Statement from the Musk-appointed head of SSA celebrating the deletion of research grants studying the financial security of the older adults and the disabled. https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v80n1/index.html #SocialSecurity #USPol

About the program:
🔗 A Look Back at the Last Decade of the Retirement Research Consortium and Disability Research Consortium (publiched Feb 2020)

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v80n1/v80n1p1.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20250202092306/https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v80n1/v80n1p1.html

https://archive.ph/bgOWE

Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 80, No. 1

Social Security Administration Research, Statistics, and Policy Analysis

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 23, 2025

10/ Anxiety Mounts Among Social Security Recipients as DOGE Troops Settle In

Elon Musk’s team has descended on an already understaffed Social Security Administration, which now faces further workforce cuts and closures of vital local offices. The consequences could be significant for millions of the most vulnerable Americans.

https://www.propublica.org/article/doge-social-security-elon-musk-trump-closures-benefits

Anxiety Mounts Among Social Security Recipients as DOGE Troops Settle In

Elon Musk’s team has descended on an already understaffed Social Security Administration, which now faces further workforce cuts and closures of vital local offices. The consequences could be significant for millions of the most vulnerable Americans.

ProPublica

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 24, 2025

11/ Although Social Security emails had icons and links to its social media pages, none I have received in the past encouraged posting on social media, esp with a hashtag. I have every email going back over a decade, none encouraged posting on social media, nor with a hash tag.

The latest email includes a text prompt to, "follow SSA OIG on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest scam tactics. Repost #SlamtheScam information on social media to keep your friends and family safe."

I'm not saying this is bad just that I noticed it.

Paul Chambers🚧Feb 28, 2025

12/: New, in a meeting today, Social Security Commissioner seeks plans for a 50 percent reduction in staff, a mass firing that could affect tens of thousands of employees across the country, affecting the already backlogged #SSA system

Also, Social Security Administration warns employees through email of "massive reorganizations.," threatens "involuntary" reassignments and offers a claimed "Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments"
#SocialSecurity #Doge #USPol #SSA .

https://www.lawdork.com/p/social-security-admin-restructuring-email

Social Security Admin warns employees of "massive reorganizations"

An email to all SSA employees on Thursday threatens "involuntary" reassignments and offers a claimed "Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments" program to encourage departures.

Law Dork

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 3, 2025

13/ 'Bloodbath': Social Security Administration Begins Mass Firings

What is being described as a "total annihilation" of SSA, say critics, proves that Trump's promises to protect Social Security "are a sham."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/social-security-administration-layoffs

@MaryAustinBooks writes, "They can't get rid of #SocialSecurity legislatively so they are just breaking the system that delivers benefits."

https://mstdn.social/@MaryAustinBooks/114099639725745459

'Bloodbath': Social Security Administration Begins Mass Firings | Common Dreams

What is being described as a "total annihilation" of SSA, say critics, proves that Trump's promises to protect Social Security "are a sham."

Common Dreams

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 6, 2025

14 / Social Security offices in 'chaos' as DOGE cripples services

"And this week, the long-struggling disability benefits system came under threat as backlogged state offices that review claims were told there would be no more overtime or hiring."

The report adds that some offices are unable to pay phone bills due to a DOGE freeze on credit cards, and that other offices are having to absorb the call volume causing massive delays in processing retirement claims as calls go unanswered." #SocialSecurity #doge

As reported elsewhere in this thread, doge has already started closing local offices

https://www.rawstory.com/doge-social-security-2671281956/

'Morale is in the toilet': Social Security offices in 'chaos' as DOGE cripples services

Staffers in Social Security offices throughout the country are both furious and distraught by the fast-moving and disorganized dismantling of the government agency by the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).According to a report from the Washington Post, the agency is now plagued b...

Raw Story

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 6, 2025

15/ FALSE ALERT: FYI, if you come across this story, "Social Security will suspend payments for 90 days," Microsoft , Edge and MSN is feeding it out in Edge Web browsers. It won't take time for people to see it, spread it and start panicking. The headline is false.

MSN is feeding some third-party website site, in what appears to be AI garbage in the Edge start page "news" sections.

The article rehashes others who say the actual damage being done could slow or cause the payment system to collapse but then frames it as "The combination of reduced staffing and increased demands could result in a 90-day suspension of Social Security payments."

Even that is conjecture.

This is false. SSA isn't pausing payments.

#SocialSecurity

The article is: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/social-security-will-suspend-payments-for-90-days/ar-AA1AkFhE

MSN

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 6, 2025

16/ To add a little petty to this thread,
new internet restrictions at the #SSA have cut off access to WIRED, along with other “general #news” websites like The Washington Post and The New York Times, including sites that have been on the forefront of reporting about Elon Musk's #doge.

DOGE has gone full North Korea and China.

🔗 " #SocialSecurity Workers Aren’t Allowed to Read This Story"

https://archive.ph/RWyhN

https://www.wired.com/story/social-security-workers-arent-allowed-to-read-this-story/

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 8, 2025

17/ This is moving faster than I thought. Musk and DOGE are already doing item one on the list in the 1st post in this thread, destabilizing SSA with staff cuts and closing offices.

Now, on to item two. "Elon Musk's so-called DOGE group has been granted access to sensitive income data from the Department of Health and Human Services"

"DOGE has recently been trying to check personal tax records against federal benefits, grants and student loans, aiming to link together traditionally separated government systems" #SocialSecurity #USPol

🔗 Elon Musk's team reportedly given access to 'sensitive income data' https://www.rawstory.com/elon-musk-access-income-data/

'Could be a backdoor': Elon Musk's team reportedly given access to 'sensitive income data'

Elon Musk's so-called DOGE group has been granted access to sensitive income data from the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a new report on Saturday.Musk, the richest man in the world and Donald Trump's right hand man, now has access to "a sensitive child support database with t...

Raw Story

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 10, 2025

18/ Social Security to begin withholding 100% of benefits again for agency fault overpayments as Trump reinstates plan to recover 100% of overpayments, until the overpayment is made up

#SocialSecurity is bringing back a controversial plan to fix its mistakes by withholding people's benefits. The agency had just sought 10% of funds it accidentally overpaid. Now it wants 100% repaid.

That's a reversal of a change to withhold only 10% of a recipient's benefits in event of an overpayment to reduce "financial hardship on people with overpayments. In the past, people lost their homes as benefits were cut off to make up an overpayment. #USPol #SSA .

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/03/08/social-security-overpayments-march-2025/82049805007/

Overpaid by Social Security? Agency reinstates plan to recover 100% of overpayments

The Social Security Administration overpays billions in benefits annually. The agency will increase its efforts to be repaid starting March 27.

USA TODAY

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 11, 2025

19/ JFC moment. A short read of a court filing regarding #SocialSecurity data and doge and the delicate nature of the data, how the current commissioner got put in and a lot of bells and whistles. #USPol
It's been reported on in the press, but read this short, double spaced court filing.

Ex-Social Security official describes ‘significant’ risk of sensitive data going to wrong hands under DOGE, handled based on three myths.

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.22.10.pdf

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 16, 2025

20/ DOGE and Social Security declared a living man dead, robbed his bank account to claw back "erroneous" payments because he was dead — Man is still waiting on it to be fixed because of short staffing.

I think another lesson here is, if you collect Social Security, move your deposit to another account as soon as possible.

From the article:

Johnson’s strange trip through the netherworld began in February, when a letter from his bank arrived addressed to his wife, Pam.
“We recently received notification of LEONARD A. JOHNSON’s passing,” it began. “We offer our sincerest condolences …”

At first she figured it was a scam — her husband, after all, was sitting right there. But then the bank got to the point.

“We know this is a difficult time, and we’re here to help,” the bank wrote.

“We received a request from Social Security Administration to return benefits paid to LEONARD A. JOHNSON’s account after their passing.”

“There’s nothing you need to do — we’ve deducted the funds from LEONARD A. JOHNSON’s account.”

🔗 Here’s a ‘dead’ person on Social Security in Seattle, with plenty to say

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/heres-a-dead-person-on-social-security-in-seattle-with-plenty-to-say/

https://archive.ph/ssEdM
#SocialSecurity #USPol

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 17, 2025

21/ New internal Social Security Administration (SSA) memo, sent on March 13, details Trump DOGE's plan to sabotage the Social Security Administration, changes "that would debilitate the agency, cause significant processing delays, and prevent many Americans from applying for or receiving benefits" #SocialSecurity

The changes would increase field office traffic, longer call wait times, and delayed processed, as well as disproportionatly impact on vulnerable populations

A DOGE workaround of the new policy means these claims will never be approved without using ID-Proof internet or making an in-person visit.

https://popular.info/p/exclusive-memo-details-trump-plan

https://archive.ph/PkaLZ

I hate this feck'n thread but it must continue. The policy says they fear "congressional scrutiny" so make your voices heard.

EXCLUSIVE: Memo details Trump plan to sabotage the Social Security Administration

An internal Social Security Administration (SSA) memo, sent on March 13 and obtained by Popular Information, details proposed changes to the claims process that would debilitate the agency, cause significant processing delays, and prevent many Americans from applying for or receiving benefits.

Popular Information

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 21, 2025

🚨 22/ Acting Social Security head consults with Justice Dept. on whether to close agency — Leland Dudek says he will ‘terminate access by all SSA employees’ to IT systems: report

Acting commissioner says it should shut down Social Security Administration.

Bloomberg News reported, “As it stands, I will follow it exactly and terminate access by all SSA employees to our IT systems,” the report quoted Dudek as saying.

“Really, I want to turn it off and let the courts figure out how they want to run a federal agency,” Dudek said, according to the report.

It's worthy to note, the entire agency runs via an "IT system" setup.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/is-the-social-security-administration-temporarily-shutting-down-acting-commissioner-says-it-should-following-doge-related-court-order-d8822dc1 #SocialSecurity

https://archive.ph/vjDkw

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 21, 2025

23/ Trump's billionaire Commerce Secretary tells All-In in DC! podcast,

"Let's say Social Security didn't send out their checks this month. My mother-in-law, who's 94, she wouldn't call and complain. She just wouldn't. She'd think something got messed up and she'll get it next month," and then says that if you're the type who *would* whine loudly about such a thing, that's an indicator of being a fraudster." #SSA #SocialSecurity

This clip is not taken out of context, either.

Full podcast, All-In in DC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=182ckTL2KBA&ab_channel=All-InPodcast!

Howard Lutnick | All-In in DC!

YouTube

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 22, 2025

24/ This evening, the Acting Commissioner of #SocialSecurity posted that he is not shutting SSA down due to the court ordering DOGE to stay away from the private records of nearly every American alive.

https://blog.ssa.gov/statement-from-acting-commissioner-dudek-about-temporary-restraining-order/

Statement from Acting Commissioner Dudek about Temporary Restraining Order | SSA

“Today, the Court issued clarifying guidance about the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) related to DOGE employees and DOGE activities at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Therefore…

SSA

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 24, 2025

25/ Oklahoma City mans #SocialSecurity benefits terminated without warning or explanation.

Turns out, because he was born on a U.S. Army base in Germany, where his father was stationed for active duty, it was deduced that #DOGE and #SSA targeted him erroneously for immigration, even though he is a US citizen by birth.

https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/man-says-social-security-benefits-terminated-without-warning-or-explanation/

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 25, 2025

26/ Those phone service disruptions from part 21 of this thread from March 21, Social Security is rushing the phone service cuts at White House request. The public phone disconnect is expected to take 2 weeks to complete.

The changes would increase field office traffic, and will disproportionately impact on vulnerable populations, the disabled, rural and the elderly.

My local Social Security office is over 45 miles away. 60 miles if we want to use "good," safe roads.

Add to the chaos the fact that #doge is shutting down offices, it is a storm waiting to happen. #SSA #SocialSecurity #USPol .

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/24/social-security-cuts-doge

https://archive.ph/L73o3

Social Security rushing service cuts at White House request, sources say

Current and former employees, and advocates for retirees, have said the changes being made would strain an already struggling system.

Axios

Jason844 🙃Mar 24, 2025

@paul Expect more of this... 🤬

Jenny Mar 22, 2025

@paul this is because he received two sternly worded letters from the judge telling him to either stop intentionally misinterpreting the court order or else admit he was lying in court. What a POS.

f*cking b*tch club Mar 24, 2025

@paul Do we believe this statement?

I don’t

Kevin Leecaster Mar 21, 2025

@paul
It should come as no surprise that the mother-in-law of a billionaire would not complain about missing a Social Security check.

Man, post-election the Republicans who are not in Congress have begun to just openly acknowledge that their constituency is only millionaires and billionaires.

Jenny Mar 21, 2025

@paul omfg

Doreen32128 ready to rumble!Mar 21, 2025

@paul He doesn’t seem very proactive.

Jenny Mar 17, 2025

@paul I also hate this thread, but thank you for documenting what is happening

Bodling Mar 16, 2025

@paul Part of the #DogeCrime is that his money was not instantly replaced in his account.

Could and will happen to any of us.

SouprMatt Mar 22, 2025

@paul They also spread fake stories about dead people voting, disproven when the living “dead” person was interviewed by the news media too.

Or maybe Mitch McConnell has been in charge of the party so long that Republicans can no longer tell the living from the dead.

Jason844 🙃Mar 10, 2025

@paul As usual, cruelty is the point...

Jason844 🙃Mar 8, 2025

@paul Easier said than done. Due to government in-efficiency, all those gov depts tend to use different, incompatible systems. Doing a check will be harder than they think.

hallvors Mar 10, 2025

@Jason844 doing the checks CORRECTLY may be harder than they think, but nothing indicates they are much concerned about correctness 😓

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 10, 2025

@hallvors The problem with Social Security is labor. Every change in resources/assets of a recipient requires input by a human and they get so backlogged. Beneficiaries report changes and it just sits. Eventually it gets added and an overpayment occurs. This is esp true for the working disabled. Then, all of a sudden, your check is gone until months worth of overpayments are paid back.

Over my career, I've processed dozens of these overpayment appeals. Under a normal regime it is brutal. Worse under a GOP admin vs DEM. Now, who knows how routine appeals will be processed.

Cruelty is a feature with this admin

Jenny Mar 11, 2025

@paul Have you read this? Very alarming.

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.22.10.pdf

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 11, 2025

Jenny Mar 6, 2025

@paul I wonder if AI came cross the comments made by a prior SSA head who said he expects the agency to begin missing payments around April due to trump/DOGE gumming up the works. The guy was clear the missing payments wouldn’t be an intentional action, just a byproduct of the chaos and short-staffing. I hate AI.

Paul Chambers🚧Mar 6, 2025

@tiamat271 I think it has gobbled up a bunch of talk about the entire situation and spit this garbage out. But people will freak out on the headline alone.

Edelruth, PBS Passport Holder Mar 3, 2025

@paul @MaryAustinBooks

Again. Trump is destroying the nation from the inside, from the Oval Office, and we have not a sing li e defense?

We have not a single defense.

Democracy Dies in Dumbass Feb 21, 2025

@paul I've paid into social security my entire life, and for the last 20 years, have contributed the maxinum every year.

If they cancel the benefit I paid for, the lawsuits will fly requiring that they pay me back every dime I've put into it.

It's not an entitlement, it's something I've paid for.