On Wednesday, a group of disability advocates filed a federal lawsuit against the Social Security Administration and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, seeking to prevent service cuts. The lawsuit claims that recent changes at the Social Security Administration under DOGE, such as staff reductions, the closure of certain locations, and additional requirements to seek in-person services, have made it more difficult for disabled and elderly people to obtain benefits.
Justice in Aging and Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP jointly filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs include the National Federation of the Blind, the American Association of People with Disabilities, Deaf Equality, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the Massachusetts Senior Action Council, and individual recipients. “The defendants’ actions are an unprecedented and unconstitutional assault on Social Security benefits, concealed beneath the hollow pretense of bureaucratic “reform,’”the complaint states.
In nine weeks, the new administration has “upended” the agency with “sweeping and destabilizing policy changes,” the plaintiffs claim, that have shifted agency functions to local offices while slashing telephone services.
“The result is a systematic dismantling of SSA’s core functions, leaving millions of beneficiaries without the essential benefits they are legally entitled to,” the lawsuit states further.
The “mass restructuring” of the agency is unlawful and violates the Rehabilitation Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, the lawsuit argues. The changes also violate multiple constitutional provisions, including the First Amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
Last week, the Social Security Administration announced a two-week delay in scheduled phone service cuts for retirees and the repeal of a rule that would have required some disabled and elderly people to drive to an office to claim their benefits. The lawsuit accuses the SSA and Musk of breaking a federal law prohibiting “arbitrary and capricious” agency acts, as well as a separate rule prohibiting disability discrimination. The plaintiffs also claim that the cuts at SSA violate their constitutional rights to petition the government and get due process.
The plaintiffs include seven people, and the complaint describes their experiences, which include long customer service wait times and, in certain cases, demands to repay considerable amounts of money to the Social Security Administration. One plaintiff, Treva Olivero, who has been legally blind since birth, was informed in March 2024 that she had been overpaid Social Security disability insurance benefits for five or six years, forcing the government to demand she repay more than $100,000, according to the lawsuit.
Olivero’s Medicaid coverage was also revoked shortly after, leaving her without income or health insurance. According to the complaint, she has been in an “ongoing struggle” to have her disability benefits reinstated. Simultaneously, she is also dealing with nearly $80,000 in medical debt.
Social Security benefits are a vital resource for millions of elderly and disabled people. For some people, these benefits are their only income. While highly unlikely, I hope the lawsuit results in positive changes for beneficiaries.
Sources:
Hussein, Fatima. “Social Security Administration Backtracks on Some ID Requirements after Backlash.” AP News, AP News, 26 Mar. 2025, apnews.com/article/social-security-administration-disability-benefits-dd53fb317dbd0e41cee436fdea9e6095.
Konish, Lorie. “Disability Advocates Sue Social Security Administration and Doge to Stop Service Cuts.” CNBC, NBCUniversal News Group, 3 Apr. 2025, http://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/04/03/disability-advocates-sue-social-security-and-doge-to-stop-service-cuts-.html.
Wilson, Quinn. “Musk, Doge Sued by Disabled Contingent over Social Security Cuts.” Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg, 3 Apr. 2025, news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/musk-doge-sued-by-disabled-contingent-over-social-security-cuts.