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The number of Americans eligible for Social Security has been rising, but the Social Security Administration has shed thousands of employees. Through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration slashed more than 7,200 positions—and the number of workers at the agency is down 20% over the last decade. Meanwhile, delays in the processing of social security survivor benefits can produce real hardship for retirees: the median retired widow or widower relies on Social Security for 75% of their total income.

Kelly Phillips Erb, a Forbes senior writer and also a seasoned tax attorney, experienced firsthand what happens when these staff cuts intersect with critical social security survivor benefits. Her widowed 77-year-old mother lost social security benefits for five months following the death of her father, and it took the help of a member of Congress to right the situation.

“I do think it’s important to stay on top of things,” Kelly told me in this Forbes Talks segment about her story. “I do think if my mom hadn’t gotten a check and I wasn’t there, she would have waited, because a lot of people have faith in the government to eventually get it right.”

Kelly also had this to say for any family who finds themselves in a similar situation to her mom: “If you’re not getting answers, don’t be afraid to reach out to a member of Congress. They want to help you, [and] they serve their constituents.”

Cheers,

Maggie McGrath

Special ForbesWomen Announcement: We Are Now Accepting Nominations For The 2026 U.S. 50 Over 50 List!

In 2021, we launched a first-of-its-kind Forbes list dedicated to spotlighting women who are making their greatest impact in life’s second half. Produced in partnership with Morning Joe cohost Mika Brzezinski and her Know Your Value initiative, the 50 Over 50 is a collection of women who reject the conventional wisdom that their best years are behind them. And now, we’re looking to do it for the sixth year in a row. We continue to seek women who are actively stepping into their power in their sixth decade or beyond. We’re looking for new stories about accelerating or recreating careers to reach the highest echelons of a business or field after turning 50. Full nominations criteria, and our nominations portal, can be found right here!

ICYMI: News Of The Week

From media mogul Oprah Winfrey to billionaire venture capitalist Theresia Gouw, meet the members of the Forbes 250 Self-Made, a new Forbes list highlighting entrepreneurs and self-starters who have, through grit and persistence, achieved financial success and enduring impact.

Is dating app burnout real, or is human connection just getting harder? In a new episode of C-Suite Unscripted, host Maggie McGrath sat down with Melissa Hobley, the Global Chief Marketing Officer of Tinder, to pull back the curtain on the world’s most famous dating app. From the shift toward IRL events to the role of AI in profile building and user safety, Hobley explained how Tinder is navigating a world that feels more disconnected than ever.

Seven in 10 U.S. employees are caregivers, and they are rating their employers differently than the rest of the workforce. Glassdoor's demographic rating data, drawn from nearly 10,000 companies, lets employees who identify as caregivers or parents and guardians score their workplaces independent of the broader employee population. Only a handful of companies earn consistently high marks from both groups.

Return-to-office mandates, the quiet rollback of flexible scheduling and the “productivity concerns” subtly reframed as “culture-building” have had a negative impact on women’s employment. Since January 2025, more than 455,000 women in the U.S. have left their jobs, and a new report from Indeed’s Hiring Lab draws on a survey of more than 80,000 workers across eight countries to reveal exactly what’s at stake for women at work.

The Justice Department said Wednesday that former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi will not testify about the Epstein files to Congress next week as scheduled, after she was fired as attorney general—leading Democrats to threaten Bondi with contempt if she doesn’t show up.

The Checklist

1. Understand how “doomjobbing” can derail your career. If doomscrolling hijacks your attention, “doomjobbing” hijacks your career. It’s the growing tendency to stay stuck in a job or frantically chase new ones while quietly believing the outcome won’t improve. Here’s how to assess whether you’re stuck in a doomjobbing cycle—and how to find the antidote.

2. Use the “April Theory” for a mid-year fresh start. “January is still a Q4 hangover for most teams,” says Kaz Hassan, an executive overseeing community & market insights at Unily. “The planning cycles, the priorities, none of it is really settled. By spring, you’re in execution mode, which means you can actually see what’s working rather than just hoping the new year plan holds.”

3. Accept that almost everything we thought we knew about management is irrelevant. Companies still clinging to command-and-control and narrow shareholder primacy increasingly suffer from short-termism, talent attrition, and inability to adapt. In contrast, those embracing customer obsession, autonomous networks, and adaptive principles build anti-fragile cultures that turn volatility into competitive edge.

The Quiz

At least 15 out of the 250 people Forbes highlighted on our list of the Greatest Self-Made Americans achieved their success after experiencing homelessness earlier in life. Which of the following women is in this group?

1. Whoopi Goldberg
2. Hilary Swank
3. Cher
4. All of the above

Check your answer.

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