Social Security change creates ‘significant burden’

A new policy proposed by the Social Security Administration could force an estimated 3.4 million more people to visit field offices each year — at a time when agency staffing is down and wait times for appointments remain long.

New filing 

According to a recent regulatory filing, the SSA plans to expand the use of multi-step verification for certain phone-based services. Beneficiaries would now need to complete a process to generate a personal identification number to perform tasks, including updating their address, checking the status of a claim, requesting benefit verification letters and asking for tax documents. If a person cannot complete the PIN verification process, they would be required to complete the task online or go in person.

The impact 

The SSA estimates this change would lead to 3.4 million additional in-person visits to offices annually. The new policy could go into effect on August 18, pending approval from the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget. This increase would be added to the 1.9 million people already required to visit SSA offices each year to update their direct-deposit banking information.

Aftermath

Critics say the policy could affect vulnerable populations, particularly older adults, people with disabilities and rural residents. “This will create a significant new burden, particularly for those who live in rural areas or have transportation or mobility difficulties,” Kathleen Romig, the director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, wrote. “The Trump administration is rushing these changes with almost no public notice or feedback.”

Reason behind the move

The SSA says the change is part of an effort to combat fraud, though it did not provide statistics in the filing to justify the requirements. “AARP supports efforts to strengthen fraud prevention and identity verification,” Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s executive vice president and chief advocacy officer, said in a statement. “However, we are concerned that SSA’s new Security Authentication PIN (SAP) process, particularly its expansion to additional telephone services, could create new barriers for older adults who rely on telephone access to manage their Social Security benefits.” 

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