The Social Security Administration is under fire after reports surfaced that one of its most important divisions has been reduced to just a few employees.
According to Government Executive, the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs (OLCA), which serves as a vital link between Congress and the SSA, has reduced its staff from approximately 50 to three.
The reduction comes as more than 70 million Americans rely on monthly Social Security payments.
The OLCA’s role is to assist lawmakers in navigating legislation, providing technical support, and addressing constituent concerns. With such a dramatic staff reduction, experts fear lawmakers will be left scrambling to solve problems that already clog district offices.
“While the administration touts the savings and increased efficiency for beneficiaries, reports like this of offices with significant workforce reductions do raise concerns,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek. “Massive reductions in staff over a short period of time could present many problems, particularly for those served from the field offices most affected.”
A shrinking workforce in a growing system
The OLCA is not the only area experiencing cuts. The SSA has lost thousands of employees in recent years, including approximately 7,000 positions eliminated by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.
That left the agency with approximately 50,000 employees nationwide, far fewer than required to meet the growing demands of an aging population.
According to Government Executive, OLCA employees were warned earlier this year that they would have to seek reassignments to avoid layoffs. Employees were initially reassured that the cuts would not continue. However, by April, the office was down to just three employees due to voluntary departures and reassignments.
This shift is already affecting congressional offices, which rely on OLCA to move constituent concerns through the bureaucracy. Lawmakers have reported receiving bounce-back emails or no response at all from SSA liaisons who previously handled inquiries quickly and effectively.
