A quiet dread has gripped millions of Social Security recipients across the U.S. as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) embeds itself within the Social Security Administration (SSA), an agency already stretched thin by years of underfunding. Just this week, DOGE operatives—led by Musk and a cadre of loyalists—began installing overseers in top SSA posts, sparking fears of slashed services and shuttered offices for the 70 million Americans who rely on these benefits. President Donald Trump’s repeated vow—“Social Security will not be touched”—rings hollow as DOGE’s first moves, reported today, axe 41 jobs and close 10 field offices from rural West Virginia to Las Vegas. For recipients like Mary Ellis, a 72-year-old widow in Kentucky, the stakes are life-or-death: “I’m two hours from an office now—lose that, and I’m stranded.” ProPublica’s investigation reveals a deeper crisis—staffing’s at a 50-year low, wait times stretch months, and DOGE’s “efficiency” could sever a lifeline for the vulnerable.