On Tuesday, the Social Security Administration (SSA) introduced new measures aimed at curbing alleged fraud in the program — changes that will invariably make it harder for millions of Americans to apply for benefits or update their information, advocates for beneficiaries warn.
Social Security recipients are allowed to confirm identifying information (used to make changes in benefits or to apply for the program itself) through multiple methods, including online, in-person at an SSA office or over the phone. But the new rule will eliminate the phone option, which is the preferred method for many who receive benefits, particularly those with disabilities and older individuals, who may be skeptical of sending information over the internet and unable to meet with someone in person.
Acting SSA commissioner Leland Dudek lauded the new changes as making the program “identity-proof” when it comes to supposed fraud. “These changes are not intended to hurt our customers, but to make sure benefits go to the right customer at the right time,” he told reporters on a conference call.
The changes are slated to go into effect on March 31.
Internal agency memos demonstrate SSA officials are well aware that the new measures will have a detrimental effect on tens of thousands of people each week, with the agency estimating that as many as 4.4 million recipients each year will need to visit an agency office. For many recipients, including the elderly and those with disabilities, that option is time consuming or geographically daunting — but failing to visit the office could result in the loss of their benefits.
It’s also likely that there will be extreme backups in service for those who can make it to physical offices, as Elon Musk and his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) are making huge cuts to the SSA, including reducing staffing levels and closing dozens of offices across the country.
Critics of the cuts and the changes to the SSA have noted that these developments will cause real harm to beneficiaries.
“By requiring seniors and disabled Americans to enroll online or in person at the same field offices they are trying to close, rather than over the phone, Trump and Musk are trying to create chaos and inefficiencies at SSA so they can privatize the system,” warned Rep. John Larson (D-Connecticut), the ranking Democrat on the Social Security Subcommittee in Congress.
The new standards for how people can change or apply for benefits “will drive people into overcrowded offices for no good reason. It is part of an ongoing effort, driven by Elon Musk’s DOGE, to cause Social Security to collapse,” the X account for Social Security Works, an advocacy group that aims to preserve and strengthen Social Security benefits, said in reaction to the changes.
“This change will substantially delay [beneficiaries’] access to their earned benefits,” said Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “It will particularly burden seniors and people with disabilities who struggle with online services and people whose limited credit histories mean they cannot use commercial authentication tools.”
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