WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 2, 2025): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Deaf Equality, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and the Massachusetts Senior Action Council, along with individual plaintiffs, and co-counsel Brown Goldstein & Levy LLP and Justice in Aging filed a federal lawsuit today against the Social Security Administration (SSA), the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek, DOGE Acting Administrator Amy Gleason, and Elon Musk in his de facto role as head of DOGE. The lawsuit alleges that recent mass staffing reductions, policies requiring individuals to seek services in person at field offices, and the elimination of critical offices within the SSA unlawfully harm Americans with disabilities and older adults who rely on Social Security services.
Filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the complaint seeks emergency declaratory and injunctive relief to halt the dismantling of the SSA’s infrastructure, including the abrupt closures of the Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (OCREO) and the Office of Transformation (OT), and the termination of 7,000 SSA employees.
“The Social Security Administration is being gutted without regard to existing law, without transparency, and without any obvious plan as to how services will be provided to applicants and beneficiaries going forward,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “Many blind Americans rely on Social Security benefits for their survival and for the support of their families. Given the technology and transportation challenges many of us face, the dramatic reduction in force and the new so-called anti-fraud requirements will cause significant hardship or deny access to benefits altogether. In the most severe cases, these cuts could endanger people’s very lives. The National Federation of the Blind supports greater government efficiency and recognizes that much can be done to improve the SSA, but careful planning and collaboration with blind Americans and other disability advocates are the right ways to handle reform.”
At the center of the lawsuit is the allegation that the federal government has undertaken a campaign to “reform” the SSA by gutting the very infrastructure designed to ensure fairness, accessibility, and timely delivery of benefits.
“Americans with disabilities deserve a functioning Social Security system, not arbitrary shutdowns and inaccessible service,” said AAPD President and CEO Maria Town. “We filed this lawsuit because disabled Americans are already suffering—and without urgent court intervention, the harm will only grow. Even before efforts by DOGE and the administration to weaken SSA, approximately 30,000 disabled people died in 2023 while waiting for their SSDI application to be approved. Working Americans pay into Social Security for their entire career because they recognize the protections of SSI and SSDI are part of our moral obligation to one another. These benefits have been funded by working American taxpayers with the understanding the funds will protect their futures and their communities. Making SSA harder to access is not only denying disabled Americans their right to access that protection, it is theft.”
Howard Rosenblum, founder and Chair of Deaf Equality, said “Our Federal Government is abandoning people with disabilities, and this lawsuit seeks to hold it accountable by asking the Federal Courts to restore the government’s obligations to us. The SSA is a lifeline for millions of people with disabilities including Deaf, Deaf Blind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened Americans. By throwing out essential services, the Federal Government is disregarding its legal responsibilities and failing to protect these American individuals who rely on these programs. Many of these Americans have dedicated a lifetime of work and service, only to be disrespected and disserved when they need support the most.”
“Social Security has been lifting seniors, people with disabilities, and survivor children out of poverty for nearly 90 years. It is the benefits we have earned and represents a contract between generations,” stated Rosa Bentley, President of Massachusetts Senior Action Council. “We cannot look away as the Trump Administration, Elon Musk and DOGE push forward aggressive personnel cuts and operational changes that undermine access to our earned benefits and demonstrate a complete disregard for the hard-working people of this nation.”
The plaintiffs argue that the mass restructuring violates the Rehabilitation Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and multiple constitutional provisions, including due process and the First Amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances. With more than 1.1 million disability claims already pending, and thousands dying or going bankrupt each year awaiting decisions, the plaintiffs allege that the SSA’s recent actions are both unlawful and life-threatening.
Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, said “Under the influence of Trump, Musk and DOGE, the leadership of the Social Security Administration has been recklessly slashing services, offices, and staff. These harmful policies have already hindered our members and supporters (mostly seniors, people with disabilities, and their families) from collecting the benefits they have paid for.”
Plaintiffs are requesting that the Court reverse the closures of OCREO and OT, halt all staffing reductions, reinstate employees who were wrongfully terminated, and roll back the policies that require in-person appointments.
About the National Federation of the Blind: The National Federation of the Blind, headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.
About the American Association of People with Disabilities: The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the over 70 million Americans with disabilities by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation. To learn more, visit the AAPD website: www.aapd.com.
About Deaf Equality: Deaf Equality is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization determined to achieve equality for all Deaf, Deaf Blind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened people in the United States by ensuring full accommodated access to all aspects of life and dismantling oppressive attitudes and systems.
About the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare: Founded by the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to protect, preserve, promote, and ensure the financial security, health, and well-being of older Americans, including people with disabilities.
About the Massachusetts Senior Action Council: Founded in 1981, the Massachusetts Senior Action Council is a statewide grassroots, senior-led organization that empowers its members to use their own voices to address key public policy and community issues that affect their health and well-being. It is dedicated to safeguarding and strengthening the systems that all community members need to rely on for economic and health security.
About Justice in Aging: Justice in Aging is a national organization that uses the power of law to fight senior poverty by securing access to affordable health care, economic security, and the courts for older adults with limited resources. Since 1972 we’ve focused our efforts primarily on fighting for people who have been marginalized and excluded from justice, such as women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and people with limited English proficiency.
For additional information, please contact:
National Federation of the Blind: Stephanie Cascone at communications@nfb.org
American Association of People with Disabilities at jdavidson@aapd.com
Deaf Equality at contact@deafequality.org
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare at Gottliebw@NCPSSM.org
Massachusetts Senior Action Council at Carolyn@MaSeniorAction.org
Brown Goldstein & Levy, LLP at ehill@browngold.com
Justice in Aging at vbarrington@justiceinaging.org; rbailey@justiceinaging.org
