DOGE Has its Sights on Social Security. Here’s Why That’s Not a Bad Thing

When President Trump took office, one of the first things he did was greenlight his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). And now, many people may be worried that DOGE will come in and mess with Social Security.

But actually, having DOGE involved in Social Security isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Here’s why.

A program that could use a cleanup

Like many other government programs, Social Security isn’t exactly run in the most efficient manner. Its systems are outdated, so much so that there’s been confusion as to whether millions of dead people are receiving benefits (they’re not). And its website, though not terrible, could be a lot easier to navigate.

Social Security is also guilty of sending out incorrect payments through the years. Between 2015 and 2022, it made almost $72 billion payments it should not have. And at a time when Social Security needs all of the money it can get, that’s a problem.

DOGE’s aim is not to cut Social Security

During his presidential campaign, Trump promised not to make any cuts to Social Security. And it’s important to recognize that DOGE isn’t coming after seniors’ benefits.

Rather, DOGE’s aim is to clean up the program, eliminate wasteful spending within it, and potentially modernize Social Security so it’s run more efficiently. None of these are negative things.

In fact, DOGE’s involvement could help Social Security conserve financial resources at a time when that’s sorely needed. And that could help prevent or at least minimize the blow of potential benefit cuts.

As it is, Social Security is only about a decade away from having to cut benefits if lawmakers don’t manage to pump more money into it. So if the program is able to better spend its limited resources, it could only help current retirees, as well as future ones who might one day become reliant on those monthly benefits to stay afloat.

Plus, DOGE’s involvement might make Social Security a less painful thing for applicants and beneficiaries to navigate. In fact, DOGE has already started putting together a team to migrate Social Security’s computer systems off of outdated code.

All change isn’t bad change

Some people may be worried about DOGE getting involved in Social Security. But the reality is that some parts of the program need an overhaul.

For example, some have criticized DOGE for attempting to modernize Social Security’s computer systems. And it’s true that if that process is rushed, the results could be disastrous. The flipside, however, is allowing Social Security’s system to use an outdated language that only a limited number of professionals are familiar with.

Given the millions of seniors who rely on Social Security for income today, any disruption in benefit payments could be hugely problematic. But it’s not a given that that will happen. So rather than assume the worst, a better approach may be to think positively.

This doesn’t mean Americans should celebrate every time they hear about DOGE getting involved in a government agency. But in the context of Social Security, it may not be so terrible.

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