Digital Government
Appeals court removes limits on DOGE access to SSA data despite ‘alarming’ revelations
The Friday decision follows a January court filing in which the government conceded that DOGE associates may have improperly accessed sensitive data at the agency.
Digital Government
Social Security delays launch of new nationwide caseload system
The agency is postponing the rollout of new, national systems the same month they were set to be deployed. It was still working out specifics for how it would move claims processing to a national setup.
Policy
Trump’s goal to create state-by-state citizenship lists isn’t feasible, experts say
A Tuesday executive order mandating that DHS create state-by-state citizenship lists is Trump’s latest effort to exert some control over state-run elections.
Digital Government
Trump signs executive order setting rules for mail-in voting and eligibility lists
The president has long disputed the mail-in voting process since his 2020 election run. The order is very likely to face legal challenges.
Digital Government
Senate Democrats push Social Security on employee reassignments to phone line
The agency is directing employees who normally process benefits to answer phone lines instead.
Digital Government
IRS CEO largely dodges questions about data sharing at IRS, SSA
Frank Bisignano cited “current litigation” for why he could not provide further details about IRS data sharing with ICE, and he disputed court records detailing how DOGE employees handled data at SSA.
Digital Government
Accessing Social Security disability benefits became harder in 2025, researchers find
Changes like the push to online servicing and introduction of AI on SSA phone lines made it difficult for certain recipients to access the agency.
Exclusive
Digital Government
‘Suicide is only one option': Social Security staff newly assigned to phone duties raise concerns over training
Experts and SSA employees question wisdom of telling callers in crisis that suicide is an option.
People
Social Security is directing employees who normally process benefits to answer phones instead
After shedding thousands of employees, SSA is reassigning workers amid fears the moves will cause backlogs to grow.
Digital Government
Senators demand details on DOGE’s data access following revelations of improperly shared SSA data
While Sens. Michael Crapo, R-Idaho, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., are asking for more information from SSA, Democrats in the lower chamber want to compel the agency to hand it over using a “resolution of inquiry.”
Digital Government
DOGE officials face Hatch Act referrals for work with org aiming to ‘overturn election results’
DOGE employees also shared Social Security data using the third-party server Cloudflare, and according to new court documents, SSA still doesn’t know what data was shared and if its still on Cloudflare.
Digital Government
Bill to improve government’s anti-fraud checks heads to Trump’s desk
House lawmakers passed a bipartisan proposal on Monday to give the Treasury Department’s Do Not Pay system permanent access to death records at the Social Security Administration.
Digital Government
SSA phone wait times longer than publicly reported metrics, per OIG report
The agency’s “average speed of answer” metric masks longer call wait times, according to data in a recent OIG report.
Policy
Lawmakers seek details behind SSA plan to slash office visits
Nextgov/FCW first reported the agency’s intention to reduce field office visits last week.
Digital Government
Social Security wants about 15 million fewer visits in its field offices
The new goal to cut the number of field office visits comes as the agency’s frontline locations have lost thousands of employees.
Modernization
Social Security occupational data update appears stalled after agency drops regulatory overhaul
The Social Security Administration has spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to update the occupational data used in disability adjudications. When the agency will actually move to newer data is unclear.
Exclusive
Policy
SSA abandons planned disability program overhaul expected to cut benefits for thousands
Trump administration officials informed the co-founder of a nonprofit disability advocacy group that a proposed rule — which would have updated decades-old occupational data, in addition to changing eligibility considerations — will no longer be moving forward.
People
SSA is denying excepted workers’ time off and telework requests, seemingly defying shutdown guidance
Though OPM guidance states that agencies should seek to accommodate the needs of excepted workers during lapses in appropriation, employees who have fallen ill or simply can no longer afford to commute without getting paid have been labeled AWOL and threatened with discipline.
People
Bisignano to lead IRS in addition to SSA duties, raising questions about the Senate confirmation process
Experts warned that the move could further facilitate the consolidation of Social Security and IRS databases for use in immigration enforcement.
Digital Government