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The Social Security Administration has seen an uptick in Americans claiming benefits earlier than planned out of worry the program might not be there down the road. In March 2025, pending claims for retirement, survivor and health insurance benefits hit 580,887, up from 500,527 a year ago, per the Wall Street Journal.
Fears about Social Security’s future are running high. Changes under the Trump administration, like staff cuts and new phone-claiming rules, have folks on edge. Claims of widespread fraud--despite the agency reporting improper payments at just 0.3%, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities--aren’t helping. “Fearmongering has driven people to claim benefits earlier,” agency officials noted at a March 28 meeting.
"That is leading people to make decisions based on fear," said Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security policy at the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities.
President Trump has vowed to protect benefits, but his push to trim government spending has sparked doubts. The WSJ pointed to White House spokeswoman Liz Huston, who suggested other factors, like aging baby boomers and a new law boosting benefits for some government retirees, as reasons for the increase:
“There is no confusion. President Trump has been extremely clear: he promised to protect and strengthen Social Security.”
Claiming at 62, the earliest age, can shrink your benefits big time. Waiting until 70 boosts payments by 76%, Laurence Kotlikoff, a Boston University economist, told the WSJ. Someone who delays until 70 comes out ahead if they live past 80. Yet, in 2023, a quarter of folks filed at 62, and the rush continues, with calls to the agency up 19% since October 2024. Website traffic and field office visits are spiking, too, with some paying $100 for certified earnings records.
It’s not just fear. Health issues and job losses are pushing people to claim early. A 2021 Boston College study found negative news about Social Security’s finances often triggers early filings. The agency insists personal data is secure, despite two brief website outages in March, and is working to handle the flood of inquiries.
At the March meeting, Social Security Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek admitted, “We have a lot of customers that are very uneasy.”