Seniors in states like Oregon, New Hampshire, and Vermont are among the most vulnerable in the country to Social Security cuts. This is according to research from Retirement Living. The report identifies the top states where retirees rely most heavily on benefits for basic living expenses.
It comes amid sweeping changes under the Trump administration. Earlier this year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced plans to cut 7,000 staff members. This is part of efforts by President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to streamline government spending.
Critics argue these cuts could delay services and complicate access for the elderly and individuals with disabilities. They say it could also disrupt benefit distribution. According to the Retirement Living rankings, Vermont has the most vulnerable Social Security beneficiaries.
This is due to its high cost-of-living index, senior poverty rate, and high rate of Social Security fraud. Massachusetts and New Hampshire also rank high on the list due to similar factors. The top 10 states where seniors rely most on Social Security are:
1.
Vermont: 90.9% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $1,949.07; cost-of-living index is 114.4.
2. New Hampshire: 91.6% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $2,087.54; cost-of-living index is 112.6.
3. Massachusetts: 82.8% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $1,979.84; cost-of-living index is 145.9.
4.
Maine: 90% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $2,003.81; cost-of-living index is 114.2.
5.
Vulnerable seniors face uncertain benefits
Connecticut: 83.1% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $1,922.40; cost-of-living index is 123.3.
6.
Rhode Island: 90.1% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $2,085.16; cost-of-living index is 112.6.
7. Hawaii: 85% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $2,087.95; cost-of-living index is 114.6.
8. Rhode Island: 88.4% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $1,963.73; cost-of-living index is 112.2.
9.
Oregon: 92.7% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $1,909.85; cost-of-living index is 112. 10. California: 83.9% of seniors receive Social Security; average check is $1,895.23; cost-of-living index is 186.9.
Max Richtman, president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, commented that DOGE cuts to the SSA have already hindered members, mostly seniors and people with disabilities, from collecting their benefits.
Future recipients are also concerned that the administration’s changes could impact their Social Security benefits. 59% of working-age Americans are worried it will be gone by the time they retire. Financial expert Alex Beene noted that states with higher costs of living and more common fraud put significant strain on benefits.
Cuts to the program could challenge seniors as they struggle to maintain their standard of living with less. Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, criticized the administration. He said, “Every day, older Americans worry about getting their Social Security benefits on time and in full.
This Trump-manufactured chaos is causing millions of seniors to file for Social Security early, taking a permanent cut to their earned benefits because they fear that Trump will destroy the program before they get their money out.”
The prospect of further cuts at the SSA remains unclear. Advocacy groups are launching legal actions to reverse DOGE-ordered changes. As financial expert Michael Ryan pointed out, “When Social Security spending disappears from these communities, it’s not just individual families that suffer.
Think of the ‘trickle down’ effect on grocery stores, pharmacies, and small businesses that survive on that steady monthly flow of federal dollars.”