Many American retirees are feeling uneasy, with reports showing a surge in calls to AARP from seniors, worried about their Social Security benefit payments.

Concerns about Social Security Trust Fund’s stability are growing, especially as projections indicate the trust fund may run out by 2034. If no action is taken by Congress, Social Security Administration benefits could be reduced to about 79% of their scheduled amounts.

Yet, planned changes to Social Security by the Trump Administration and D.O.G.E. include layoffs of more than 10% of the Social Security Administration’s workforce, the closure of dozens of field offices throughout the country, and aggressive clawbacks of overpayments.

For example, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is taking new antifraud steps that will require more Americans to prove their identity when filing benefits or making direct deposit changes. As a result, more Americans will be required to go in person to a SSA field office.

The administration says it is streamlining the system and going after waste and fraud, but financial advisors say some of their clients and many Social Security recipients are concerned about their benefits.