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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteMartin O’Malley’s warning was about whether the Social Security Administration could keep serving the public if workforce, office-access and technology changes weakened its ability to process claims and fix problems. It was a forecast reported in March 2025—not evidence that Donald Trump or Elon Musk stopped scheduled checks. The Social Security Trustees’ 2026 report addresses a separate question: how much the program’s trust-fund income and reserves are projected to cover over the long term.
What did Martin O’Malley warn could happen?
On March 10, 2025, the website of Representative John Larson republished Rolling Stone and American Doom reporting about changes at the Social Security Administration during the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. Former Social Security commissioner Martin O’Malley and unnamed SSA employees warned that workforce reductions, field-office closures and changes to internal technology and public-facing functions could impair the agency’s operations.
O’Malley’s concern was that losing experienced staff or making help harder to reach could leave people struggling to apply for benefits, correct records or resolve a problem. He said, “They are intentionally driving the agency into collapse so they can claim it’s broken.” That is O’Malley’s allegation, not an independently established finding in the official agency sources cited here. The report also quoted his warning, “will you let them destroy your Social Security?”—a political challenge, not proof that the program had been destroyed.
The report described proposed changes and risks; it does not establish that every reported change took effect or that the same conditions persist in October 2026. It also noted that SSA and the White House did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment by publication. Those limits matter when interpreting a forecast based partly on anonymous employee accounts.
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Could Trump and Musk stop your Social Security check?
The cited March 2025 reporting did not establish that Trump or Musk stopped scheduled benefit payments, and the Trustees’ 2026 financial projections do not say that checks have been stopped. O’Malley’s warning focused on the agency’s ability to deliver service and handle claims—not on evidence that recipients had lost benefits because of the reported operational changes.
A check arriving on schedule and a person being able to get agency help are related but distinct issues. Someone may need to apply, correct a record, appeal a decision or get an answer; problems with access or processing could matter even if scheduled payments continue. The available sources do not quantify the effects of particular staffing or office changes on those services.
What do the 2026 Social Security projections say?
The Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees’ 2026 summary projects when trust-fund reserves could be depleted under its assumptions. Reserve depletion does not mean that all Social Security benefits vanish: the Trustees project that income would continue to come in and cover a share of scheduled benefits. These are long-range estimates, not certain future outcomes.
OASI: retirement and survivors benefits
The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund is projected to pay 100% of scheduled benefits through the fourth quarter of 2032. After its reserves are depleted, continuing income is projected to cover 78% of scheduled OASI benefits.
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DI: disability benefits
The Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund is projected to pay full scheduled benefits through at least 2100, according to the 2026 Trustees’ summary.
Combined OASDI illustration
If the OASI and DI funds were combined for illustration, the Trustees project reserves would be depleted in the third quarter of 2034, with continuing income covering 83% of scheduled benefits at that time. The two funds are legally separate and cannot actually be combined without a change in law. The combined projection is therefore not the same as the separate OASI and DI projections.
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The Trustees based their 2026 report on intermediate assumptions set in February 2026 and say the assumptions and projections will be reevaluated as developments occur. The depletion dates and payable percentages should be read as projections under those assumptions, not guaranteed outcomes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How many people are affected by the program?
The 2026 Social Security and Medicare Trustees’ report gives these counts for 2025:
- 62.3 million people received OASI benefits at the end of 2025.
- 8.2 million people received DI benefits at the end of 2025.
- 184.7 million people paid Social Security payroll taxes in 2025.
The figures describe different groups and periods: benefit recipients at year-end and payroll taxpayers during the year. They should not be collapsed into one count of people who “depend on” Social Security.
What the 2025 political debate does—and does not—show
In an April 4, 2025 Senate-floor debate preserved in the Congressional Record, senators argued that office access, telephone support and staffing could make it harder for people to resolve Social Security problems. Those remarks document political arguments, not official measurements of service levels or an agency finding that benefits were interrupted.
The Trustees also report that administrative expenses in 2025 were 0.3% of OASI program costs and 1.6% of DI program costs. Those cost shares describe program spending; they do not establish what effect any particular staffing change had on service quality or processing capacity.
Where to go for help with an individual claim
SSA.gov lists secure online routes for tasks including checking eligibility and benefit estimates, applying for benefits, checking application status, replacing a Social Security card, scheduling appointments and pursuing appeals. Use the agency’s current website for the latest instructions and options. Online services may not work for everyone or resolve every issue involving telephone or in-person access.
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