You can literally only make additive changes to social programs if you don't want to make people mad. Any change perceived as subtraction will make people scream and you will be made out as a tyrant grinding the faces of the poor even if you are trying to simplify, consolidate, make more efficient, close loopholes, etc.; it doesn't matter. Just look at France.
We've successfully made numerous cuts to social programs with no negative consequence. Like, what was the political cost of 1990s welfare reform? Well, President Clinton was re-elected by a landslide and the Republicans who helped champion the bill won control of the House.