Press Releases
04/16/2025
Attorney General Tong Leads Brief to Defend Social Security from Erratic and Unlawful Mismanagement
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney
General William Tong led a coalition of 20 states filing an amicus brief
supporting an injunction to block erratic and unlawful layoffs and
mismanagement at the Social Security Administration by acting administrator
Leland Dudek and the Department of Government Efficiency that jeopardize
continued payments for millions of Americans.
The brief
supports the plaintiffs in American Association of People with Disabilities
v. Dudek and was filed Tuesday in the United States District Court for the
District of Columbia.
“Do not mess with Social
Security. Period,” said Attorney General Tong. “This is not some tech
start-up for hacker bros to play with. This is our country’s most fundamental
economic lifeline, and without it, millions and millions of Americans will go
hungry and homeless. The courts must step in now to block Elon Musk and his
band of wannabee stormtroopers from dismantling Social Security before it is
too late.”
Millions of Americans
receive monthly benefits through Social Security retirement, survivor, and
disability benefits. As Dudek and DOGE inflict Silicon Valley’s
move-fast-and-break-things approach, workers have reported utter chaos that has
threatened to send the agency into a death spiral. Announcements have been made
only to be rolled backs days or even hours later. Offices have been slated for
closure only to later be removed from lists. Indiscriminate layoffs have been
done without regard for how the cuts will impact SSA’s ability to provide core
services. All the while, Dudek and DOGE have failed to offer any coherent
justification for their erratic actions, pointing instead to misinformation
about debunked purported fraud, waste, and abuse.
Elon Musk has falsely
claimed that SSA pays out $100 billion annually in improper payments, referring
to SSA as a “Ponzi scheme.” President Donald Trump has falsely insisted that
tens of millions of people over 100 years old were receiving Social Security
checks. This is false. Less than 1 percent of total benefits paid between 2015
and 2022 were improper, according to the SSA’s Inspector General’s Office. Of
those improper payments, most were due to mistakes or delays, rather than false
information to obtain undeserved benefits. Dudek himself has rejected the
notion that deceased people are receiving benefits.
Staff cuts are exacerbating
Social Security’s problems, rather than improving its efficiency. About 2,800
employees have already retired or taken early buyouts promoted by DOGE. SSA and
DOGE are planning even further cuts, despite administrative costs only
amounting to 0.5 percent of its budget. Having fewer workers has led to longer
lines at field offices and longer wait times on phones. In 2025, callers have
waited 50 percent longer on hold before speaking to a representative. Online
users are faring no better after several website crashes. The Office of
Transformation, responsible for managing the website, is in the midst of laying
off roughly half of its information technology staff.
For many Americans, Social
Security benefits make it possible to meet their most basic needs, including
food, shelter, and health care. Further, Social Security is the pathway for
eligibility for a number of other vital safety net programs, including Medicaid
and Medicare and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance.
In a recent survey by the
National Academy of Social Insurance, 42% of individuals aged 65 and older
responded that they would not be able to afford food, clothing, or housing if
they did not receive their Social Security retirement benefits. Nearly nine out
of ten people aged 65 and older were receiving a Social Security benefit as of
December 31, 2024. Of those people, approximately 40% received at least half of
their income from Social Security. Further, 12% of men and 15% of women rely on
Social Security for 90% or more of their income.
Plaintiffs claim the
staffing cuts and reorganization measures have delayed benefits and limited
SSA’s ability to meet the needs of beneficiaries with disabilities in violation
of section 504(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Administrative Procedure
Act, and the First and Fifth Amendments. The brief supports their request for a
preliminary injunction.
Joining Attorney General
Tong in the brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado,
Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,
Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
- Twitter: @AGWilliamTong
- Facebook: CT Attorney General
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov
Consumer Inquiries:
860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov