In March 2025, social media users reported that Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would close 47 Social Security Administration (SSA) offices.
The information emerged following Trump’s executive order to reduce the federal workforce, but official data revealed nuances that were not previously disclosed.
The DOGE published on its website a list of 47 completed leases for SSA offices. However, the SSA stated that 64 locations, mostly unused audience spaces, would not renew their leases.
The difference between the two figures caused confusion, and users on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky emphasised the version of “massive closures.”
Closing of SSA offices or empty spaces? The controversy behind the DOGE data
The controversy began when a Bluesky user shared a screenshot of the DOGE website, highlighting a list of 47 field offices scheduled for closure.
Users interpreted this as a direct cut to Social Security services, but the SSA clarified that the majority of the spaces represented remote hearing rooms that had not been used since 2023.
The SSA released an archived spreadsheet containing 64 cancelled contracts, 17 more than those cited by the DOGE. A spokesperson clarified that these spaces were “rooms within existing offices” intended for benefit appeals and did not require the complete closure of offices.
The agency also stated that only two locations and 202 employees would be consolidated, with no layoffs.
The facts behind the “closures” of Social Security
Cross-referencing the DOGE and SSA lists revealed 69 lease terminations, including overlaps and differences. DOGE, for example, listed an office in Logan, West Virginia as “temporarily closed,” while SSA added parking lots and a regional office. Both agencies’ criteria lacked clarity, which fuelled misinformation.
DOGE justified the terminations as part of a plan to optimize spending, categorizing them as “true” or due to consolidation. The SSA, on the other hand, emphasized that the affected spaces were redundant: “These rooms were no longer used following the digitalization of hearings in 2023,” according to a spokesperson.
Trump’s directive to make the federal workforce “more efficient” reignited debate over cuts to public services. Although the DOGE linked the closures to this goal, the SSA maintained there was no direct link to job cuts. “No workers will lose their jobs; they will only be relocated,” the spreadsheet stated.
Public policy experts pointed out that the numerical disparity reflects administrative differences: the DOGE counts contract terminations, whereas the SSA includes all types of spaces, including symbolic ones. However, a lack of communication among agencies exacerbated public confusion.
The SSA forwarded enquiries about the leases to the General Services Administration (GSA), which is in charge of managing federal properties. The GSA did not specify whether the termination of a contract at an existing office would result in partial or complete closure.
The DOGE, for its part, has not responded to requests for an explanation of the discrepancy between its data and that of the SSA.
According to data from both agencies, the closures affected 23 states, with Texas, California, and Florida having the highest concentrations. The tool lets you filter by space type (audiences, parking, or offices) and see if a location was listed by the DOGE, the SSA, or both.
It is recommended that you contact your local SSA agency to find out whether it will close or remain open.