Social Security Administration to require more in-person visits
More Americans may need to visit their Social Security offices in person after the agency that runs it announced an update to its security policies.
The Social Security Administration announced Tuesday it would transition to "stronger identity protection procedures," and said anyone who can't log into their online accounts "will then need to visit a local Social Security office to prove their identity in person."
The announcement came two weeks after the administration announced it would close dozens of local Social Security offices, and a week after a memo leaked to multiple news outlets recommended doing no longer allowing seniors to make account changes over the phone.
That memo, from acting commissioner Leland Dudek, estimated that between 75,000 and 85,000 more people would need to visit Social Security offices each week. The memo also predicted higher demand for office appointments and "increased challenges for vulnerable populations." Social Security beneficiaries, who are elderly or people with disabilities, often have mobility issues that can make it difficult to reach an office in person.
Nancy LeaMond, from the retiree advocacy group AARP, blasted the decision in a statement: “Requiring rural Americans to go into an office can mean having to take a day off of work and drive for hours merely to fill out paperwork. The Social Security Administration needs to be able to figure out a solution for Americans everywhere to get help in a timely and efficient manner."
The White House and the Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Department of Government Efficiency criticized early reporting about the issue on X, saying that the new procedures are "identical to the fraud protections at almost all major banks, where deposit changes are made either online or in person."
A July 2024 report from Social Security’s inspector general less than 1% of payments from 2015 to 2022 were improper.
Social Security serves more than 70 million Americans, including most people over age 65, millions of people with permanent disabilities, and survivors of deceased workers.
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