Upon Donald Trump‘s arrival in the Oval Office, he pledged to protect social security cash flow for elderly citizens. Since the inaugural ceremony in 2025, he has carried out several executive orders for the betterment of American citizens who are part of this program. For context, Social Security is a financial plan that provides aid to citizens who are disabled, retired, and/or survivors of deceased workers. It’s managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Although some of his policies have received mixed reactions, they have directly or indirectly impacted the SSA. While certain orders, like withdrawing taxes on Social Security earnings, require congressional approval, several other policies, such as terminating leases for thousands of office spaces, ordering the federal government to stop sending paper security checks, and, of course, the establishment of DOGE (which has caused massive layoffs in recent times), have already been issued.
As per sources, these reforms aimed to initiate cost-cutting within the federal government, and the policies have indeed saved the Social Security program over $1.5 billion annually. However, even if these savings seem to be a good sign for aged citizens, they fail to tackle larger issues for people benefitting from the SSA program, who majorly rely on it for their retirement savings.
The Social Security Fund was originally established in 1939 for the accumulation of taxes and wages to pay the old people in return. For 80 years, the fund grew by investing in government bonds. But recently, the fund has started paying out more than it takes in, and the insufficiency is getting bigger each year.
Media reports claim that the fund will run out by 2033, which might affect the benefits the retirees get. Meanwhile, the policy changes made by Trump when it comes to the Social Security program have mainly reduced administrative costs. Still, his reforms won’t resolve the main issue in the future.
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Administrative expenses account for only 0.5% of the total cost of Social Security. The remaining funds go toward paying benefits, which is where the true economic strain lies. As per the Congressional Budget Office, there is an average increase of $360 per month for retired workers and an average increase of $700 per month for spousal beneficiaries. For the widows, the checks have increased by an average of $1,190 per month, as reported by Nasdaq.
Even though several important steps have been taken toward modernizing the Social Security system, which has made it more efficient and responsive to the needs of people across America, as of 2024, the Old Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund ran a deficit of $103.2 billion.
Here’s a list of how much the fund shortage is meant to increase in the coming years if certain policies under Donald Trump’s administration do not get rectified. Perhaps a major reform will help manage the existing economic strain, will help the future of the SSA fund, and secure people’s future.
| Year | Estimated OASI Trust Fund Deficit |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $180.7 billion |
| 2026 | $193.8 billion |
| 2027 | $221.3 billion |
| 2028 | $250.0 billion |
| 2029 | $280.7 billion |
| 2030 | $312.8 billion |
| 2031 | $344.0 billion |
| 2032 | $375.4 billion |
Data source: Social Security Administration.
