The Donald Trump administration has done it again. Thanks to information published by The Washington Post, it has been revealed that the federal government’s announcement to tighten the requirements for accessing Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits could affect more than 15 million people. These new measures will affect, on the one hand, Social Security Disability Insurance, as they intend to eliminate the age factor or set a minimum threshold of 60 years.
According to former official and principal researcher at the Urban Institute, Jack Smalligan, this represents an even stricter change in requirements than already exists and would exclude people who do need this type of assistance. In addition to tightening eligibility requirements, the application process can take years, prioritizing illnesses that the government’s official list considers serious.In this scenario, Democratic Senator on the Finance Committee, Ron Wyden, asserts that the Republicans intend to launch a wave of Social Security cuts never before experienced.
On the other hand, as shown by an analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), these changes would also affect Supplemental Security Income (SSI), leaving more than 400,000 low-income people without assistance. Last October 2024, a measure came into effect whereby households receiving benefits such as the SNAP food stamp program would be considered households receiving public aid or assistance, giving them priority in determining if they have access to Supplemental Security Income. However, now they want to reverse this rule, without considering that a family receiving these food stamps is already well below the poverty line.
Changes in Social Security Administration eligibility requirements
More than 15 million people and 750,000 beneficiaries could be affected by the new federal government measures regarding the requirements established for receiving aid from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Thanks to information from The Washington Post, which gathers testimonies from people familiar with Trump’s new proposal, a total of more than 15 million people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will be affected by the tightening of requirements to obtain this social aid. While factors such as age, work experience, and education level are currently considered, all of this could be about to change.
What requirements are going to be modified?
Former official and principal investigator at the Urban Institute, Jack Smalligan, stated, “the current criteria are already strict enough to include additional requirements to exclude people who should qualify.” If the United States Senate approves this new measure, one of the first changes would be to eliminate the age factor or set a minimum limit of 60 years, which would reduce the likelihood of eligibility by 10%, leaving over 750,000 people out. If age is no longer a factor, a larger number of older workers with disabilities would seek early retirement, which would result in a reduction of their monthly payments by about 30%.
According to Democratic Senator on the Finance Committee Ron Wayden,”This is the first phase of the Republican campaign to force Americans to work until old age and represents the largest cut to disability insurance in the country’s history. People with disabilities have also worked and contributed to Social Security; they do not deserve more bureaucratic obstacles to obtain what they have already paid for.” Furthermore, not only are the requirements being tightened, but the processing time for an application could take years, prioritizing illnesses from the official list of those considered most severe.
Changes in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), modifications to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program would leave more than 400,000 people without assistance. Starting in 2024, families receiving benefits from the ‘food stamp’ SNAP program are considered households receiving public assistance. However, the new measure aims to remove this consideration, making it a proposal that “ignores that families receiving SNAP ‘stamps’ have very low incomes. Typically, a multi-person household receiving ‘food stamps’ and in which at least one member accesses Supplemental Security Income has an annual income of about $17,000, well below the poverty line”, the study warned.