In Trump's second presidency, he has outlined and implemented, at least in part, an ambitious agenda, including several key changes to Social Security, a program that is relied on by millions of Americans. As more changes are likely throughout the year, check back as we outline how they will affect you and your Social Security check.
In 2025, about 73 million Americans will receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both, according to the Social Security Administration, with nearly $1.6 trillion in benefits paid out annually. Trump's agenda could directly impact Social Security, a significant source of income for most people over age 65. However, the program is on shaky ground and may need to reduce benefits in ten years if Congress doesn't make changes to bolster its finances.
Although it's still early in his second term, here’s what Trump has done with Social Security so far. (A separate story looks at what Trump has done with Medicare so far).
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Changes to Social Security in Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill'
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a comprehensive tax and spending package that passed the House of Representatives on May 21, 2025, by a narrow vote. Although Trump had pledged to eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits, the bill doesn't eliminate those taxes, but includes a temporary increase to the standard deduction for older people that could lower taxable income for Social Security recipients.
The bill would also raise the standard deduction by up to $4,000 for people aged 65 and over, starting in 2025 through 2028. Although this change is not aimed directly at Social Security income, it could effectively reduce the taxable burden for retirees whose total income, including benefits, is limited.
The deduction begins to phase out at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly, making it less relevant for higher-income seniors.
As of the end of June 2025, the Senate is actively debating the bill, which faces both Republican disagreements and Democratic opposition. The Senate version, which is around 940 pages, differs from the House version, with deeper Medicaid cuts and adjustments to tax provisions. If passed by the Senate, the bill will need to return to the House for a final vote due to changes made before the legislation reaches Trump's desk.
Read: Five Surprising GOP Senate Bill Tax Changes to Know
New Deputy Commissioner of Office Operations at the SSA
This past April, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced the appointment of Stephen Evangelista as the Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Operations. In this role, Evangelista will oversee the SSA’s customer support services, which include oversight of more than 1,200 field offices nationwide, as well as 23 teleservice centers that assist over the phone.
Evangelista has over 25 years of experience in executive leadership roles at SSA, most recently serving as the Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Policy in the Office of Law and Policy.
“Stephen’s proven track record of leadership and his dedication to public service make him an excellent choice for this critical role,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “His deep knowledge of the agency’s programs will be an asset as we continue to improve customer service while safeguarding Americans’ hard-earned benefits.”
Read: Social Security Phone Wait Times: The Best Times to Call
Trump signs memo stating non-citizens ineligible for Social Security benefits
President Trump signed a memorandum directing the Social Security Administration to take steps to ensure non-citizens who are ineligible for benefits don’t receive any from the SSA. These actions include:
- Expand the SSA’s fraud prosecutor programs
- Investigate earnings reports of people 100 years old or older with mismatched records
- Evaluate reinstatement of SSA’s civil monetary penalty program
The memo states that all non-citizens who have authorization to work in the U.S. must pay all of the existing Social Security and Medicare taxes, and may be able to draw benefits from those systems if they meet the eligibility requirements. In addition to other factors, permanent residents who are non-citizens have a 5-year residency requirement to access Medicare.
Read: Return to Your Home Country to Retire: Repatriation Retirement
If you have student loan debt in default, your SS checks may be at risk.
Beginning May 5, the Department of Education restarted collections of defaulted federal student loans via the Treasury Offset Program, which collects delinquent debts owed to the government by withholding tax refunds and Social Security benefits. After 30 days, the government can start going after your paycheck, withholding up to 15% of a borrower’s disposable income for those in default.
“Borrowers who don’t make payments on time will see their credit scores go down, and in some cases, their wages automatically garnished,” wrote Education Secretary Linda McMahon in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal.
Within the next two weeks, affected borrowers should hear from the Office of Federal Student Aid. If you are in default, the Education Department urges you to contact the Debt Resolution website to make a payment, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, or sign up for loan rehabilitation.
Read: Social Security New Rule: Overpayments Must Be Paid Back 100%. Why It Matters
Trump reinstates National Social Security month
First introduced in 2019 during President Trump’s first administration, National Social Security Month has been reinstated. In 2025, the awareness month will run from April through August 14, when Social Security celebrates its 90th Anniversary. National Social Security Month is a public awareness campaign held in April each year that is dedicated to helping Americans access their benefits. It was canceled during COVID-19 and did not resume under former President Biden. "This year’s enhanced public outreach to help eligible individuals access their benefits continues Social Security’s proud tradition of service to the American people," states the SSA April 22 press release.
Read: Americans Optimistic About Future Social Security Benefits
Trump taps Fiserv CEO Frank Bisignano as the new Social Security Administration (SSA) commissioner
On April 2nd, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee advanced the nomination of Fiserv CEO Frank Bisignano to be Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) by a vote of 14-13.
He was confirmed on May 6th along party lines, by a vote of 53 to 47. He is now tasked with leading a department that has undergone numerous changes since President Trump took office.
During his Senate confirmation hearing in March, Bisignano told senators he had ‘not thought about’ privatizing Social Security. He also said that Trump had said that Social Security benefits would not be cut under his administration, a plan he supports.
Read: How the Social Security Administration Is Coping with Rapid Change
mySocial Security log-in to change
Last July (2024), we reported that Social Security online users had to create Login.gov accounts if they didn't already have them. That means that effective June 7, 2025, you can no longer use your mySocialSecurity login. Login.gov and ID.me are now the only sign-in options to access your Social Security online services.
If you already have a Login.gov or ID.me account, you can use your existing account to access your online account.
Read: Social Security Login Changes Taking Effect Soon
SSA pays out retroactive benefits
The Social Security Administration has started paying retroactive benefits and increasing monthly benefit payments to over 3.2 million individuals whose benefits were affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). If you are a public sector employee whose Social Security benefits were reduced or eliminated by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and/or Government Pension Offset (GPO, your April check should have been bigger than March's benefit.
Read: Social Security Sent Out Billions in Back Payments This Week. Here's What You Need to Know.
DOGE reduces staffing at the SSA
In the early days of his administration, President Trump signed an executive order creating the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and made Elon Musk a “special government employee.” Elon Musk has left the agency, but cuts are still being made.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has reduced its staffing target to 50,000 employees, down from the current number of around 57,000. It also identified cost savings opportunities in grants, contracts, property and technology. According to the SSA, the total savings are estimated to exceed $800 million in fiscal 2025.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) also walked back plans to make significant reductions to its phone services by eliminating telephone support for claims processing and direct-deposit account transactions. Instead, the agency has decided to proceed with a narrower revision barring direct-deposit changes via phone.
Read: Social Security Administration: DOGE Cannot Make Changes to Benefit Payments
The SSA to close offices
In collaboration with DOGE, President Trump directed the General Services Administration (GSA) to terminate leases on approximately 7,500 federal offices, including those of the Social Security Administration (SSA). (Most of these offices are currently underutilized or closed). However, as the Social Security Administration is already at its lowest staffing level in 25 years, the closures are raising questions about the accessibility of services for beneficiaries.
This is especially troubling since, starting April 14, 2025, individuals can no longer apply for Social Security benefits or make changes to their direct deposit information over the phone. Instead, they will need to stop into a local office or set up a Social Security account online, both of which could pose challenges for older individuals who may have difficulty accessing local offices or navigating online systems.
Update: The SSA issued a press release, “Correcting the Record about Social Security Office Closings,” to reassure the public that “the agency has not permanently closed or announced the permanent closure of any local field office.”
Read: 47 Local Social Security Offices to Close After DOGE Cuts
No more paper Social Security checks
Roughly 456,000 Americans receive paper Social Security checks. However, that's about to end soon. An executive order signed by President Trump this past March mandates that the federal government stop sending paper Social Security checks, effective September 30, 2025. That means that if you currently receive a paper check, you must set up a direct deposit of your payments before that date to avoid disruption in your benefits.
Read: U.S. Treasury to Eliminate Paper Checks: What It Means for Tax Refunds, Social Security
In-person identity verification
The Social Security Administration (SSA) reversed its initial plan to end most telephone applications for benefits and direct deposit changes. Instead, on April 14, 2025, the SSA put in place enhanced fraud prevention tools, allowing individuals to complete all claims via telephone.
Applications for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicare are exempt from in-person identity proofing and can still be fully completed over the phone. Direct deposit changes can also be requested by phone. The changes to this policy were made due to backlash from advocates and lawmakers in an effort to ensure that everyone could access most services via phone.
Initiatives to become more transparent
The Social Security Administration is implementing several initiatives that it says will "promote greater transparency and accountability within its customer service department." These initiatives include publishing Social Security challenges and actions taken online, releasing weekly operational report meetings on YouTube and increasing the amount of detail shared with the public on wait times.
Read: The Average Social Security Check for Retirees in Every State
Recovering Social Security overpayments
Before April 25, 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) planned to withhold 100% of a person's monthly benefit to recover overpayments made in error. However, it revised its policy, reducing the default withholding rate for new overpayments from 100% to 50% of a beneficiary’s monthly Social Security benefits.
This change applies to overpayment notices issued on or after April 25, 2025. The previous 100% withholding policy, which took effect on March 27, 2025, was rolled back due to concerns about financial hardship for some beneficiaries. Even so, any overpayments before March 27, 2025, remain subject to the 10% withholding rate, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) overpayments continue at a 10% withholding rate. Beneficiaries can still request a lower repayment rate, appeal the overpayment decision, or seek a waiver if the overpayment was not their fault or repayment would cause hardship
Read: Social Security New Rule: Overpayments Must Be Paid Back 100%. Why It Matters
Trump wants to lower inflation, which will impact COLAs
Lowering inflation can have a positive effect on Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) by stabilizing prices. That, in turn, can help maintain the purchasing power of wages. However, recent tariffs proposed by Trump may temporarily raise inflation, complicating the efforts to achieve lower COLAs.
Read: Retirees Get a Raise in Their Social Security Benefits
Trump cracks down on immigration
President Trump issued several executive orders related to the enforcement of immigration across the border. Although just speculation at this point, the current immigration crackdown could potentially reduce labor supply in some industries, such as home health care. These changes could lead to higher prices for some products and higher inflation, affecting Social Security COLAs.
Read: Are Armed IRS Agents Headed to the Border?
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