Look For The Helpers: What's In The Lawsuit Filed Against the Social Security Administration on Behalf of Disabled People

Another week, another fight. But I genuinely believe if we all come together, just like this lawsuit demonstrates, that we can make significant changes. Before I dive into the details of the most recent fight, I want to highlight a few ways you can take action this week:

1. Apply For Remarkable: If you are building a startup that will make an impact on disabled people, make sure to apply for our 2025 Remarkable cohort. In the U.S. we provide $50k in funding as well as connections, mentorship, and support. Apply here, or join me at tomorrow’s AMA to learn more.
2. Get Involved with the Disability Impact Registry: Last week, I shared an initiative I started: The Disability Impact Registry, where we can begin to share what impacts the current administration is having on the disabled community and coallesce support and innovation. Fill out the form to share your experience, sign up to receive the newsletter on ways to help, and share the link far and wide so that we can find ways to show up for each other. Small actions can make a big difference here. If you want to help with this, send me a note!
3. Democracy is a Disability Issue: Our friends at Perkins School for the Blind are hosting an event Democracy is a Disability Issue. It will be live in Boston and live-streamed for folks who are not local.

They say look for the helpers, and this week, disability organizations took a big step to protect folks who are being impacted by the actions of the Social Security Administration and DOGE. Here’s what’s happening:

On April 2nd, disability advocates and organizations including the American Association of People with Disabilities, National Federation of the Blind, Deaf Equality, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Massachusetts Senior Action Council, and Individuals with disabilities who rely on Social Security benefits filed a lawsuit against the Social Security Administration (SSA), its Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek, the Department of Government Efficiency Service (DOGE), its Acting Administrator Amy Gleason, and Elon Musk (described as the "De Facto Head of DOGE").

The lawsuit claims that their actions are not efficiency improvements but deliberate actions that undermine the SSA's core functions and disproportionately harm people with disabilities and older adults who depend on Social Security benefits.

What's the Lawsuit About?

The lawsuit claims that in early 2025, the defendants made several changes that have severely damaged the Social Security Administration's ability to serve people who depend on its benefits, particularly people with disabilities. These changes include:

1. Eliminating two important offices:
2. Planning to reduce the SSA workforce by 7,000 employees (about 12% of staff)
3. Imposing new requirements that force people to visit field offices in person for many services that could previously be handled by phone
4. Reducing the number of regional offices from ten to four
5. Implementing a hiring freeze while reducing overtime

The Impact

The lawsuit explains that these changes have created several problems:

• Longer wait times for benefits and services
• Difficulty accessing field offices, especially for people with disabilities
• No clear process for filing disability discrimination complaints
• Website crashes due to overloaded systems
• Increased burdens on already-understaffed local offices

Examples of Real People Impacted:

Treva Olivero, a 47-year-old legally blind woman from Indiana, had her life upended in March 2024 when SSA abruptly terminated her $1,600 monthly SSDI benefits, claiming she had been overpaid for 5-6 years and demanding repayment of over $100,000. Her Medicaid coverage was also cut off, leaving her without income, health insurance, or clear options. With help from her family and an NFB consultant, Treva reapplied in December 2024, navigating a confusing online application process. After her interview was postponed by a month, she was told reinstating benefits could take 6-9 months. Unable to work due to her health and stripped of her benefits, Treva lost her apartment and moved in with her sister. She now faces nearly $80,000 in medical debt and spends $200 monthly on wound care supplies not covered by Medicaid.

Wilshawn Tiller, a 49-year-old Navy veteran from Florida suffering from PTSD, COPD, and emphysema, has been fighting for benefits since November 2023. When he lost his job three months after applying, his situation became desperate. Unable to get through on the phone after hour-long waits, Wilshawn had to rely on his neighbor for rides to the SSA office since his wife needed their car to take their children to school and get to work. On two consecutive days, he arrived early only to find lines already stretching out the door and down the block. With his medical conditions making standing painful, he endured hours in the heat just to speak with someone who could only tell him to "be patient." After finally securing an interview in February 2025—over a year after applying—he was denied SSI and now faces starting the entire appeal process from scratch.

These types of stories are exactly what I created the Disability Impact Registry to capture. Get involved here.