The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing widespread website outages following recent software changes implemented under Elon Musk's DOGE government efficiency team, according to a new report from the Washington Post.
The crashes stem from expanded fraud detection measures that were added earlier in the claims process. While the enhanced security checks aim to verify users' identities through credit reporting data, the system appears unable to handle the increased volume of authentication requests.
"The technology staff did not adequately test the software against high user volumes before deployment," said current and former officials familiar with the situation. The authentication portal managing logins for multiple Social Security applications has experienced frequent downtime as a result.
The issues come amid broader changes at the SSA, including staff reductions that have limited phone support availability. With more users being directed to the website for services, the technical problems have left many unable to access critical benefits.
Kathy Stecher, 72, of Upland, California described her week-long struggle to schedule a required in-person appointment through the SSA website. "Whenever I clicked the appointment button, nothing happened," she said. When finally reaching someone by phone after hours on hold, she was told such technical difficulties had become "routine."
While the White House maintains that Social Security services and payments will continue uninterrupted, the ongoing outages raise concerns about the agency's ability to effectively serve beneficiaries under the new constraints. Critics argue that the combination of staff cuts and unstable technology infrastructure was a predictable recipe for service disruptions.
The SSA has not provided an estimated timeline for resolving the technical issues. Meanwhile, many retirees and benefits recipients continue facing challenges accessing the online services they depend on.