Millions of Americans who rely on Social Security benefits will face delays in accessing their earned payments as the Social Security Administration (SSA) eliminates phone-based identity verification. The rule change, set to take effect on March 31, removes a widely used method for verifying beneficiaries’ identities, forcing them to either navigate an online system or visit an SSA office in person.
The move has sparked immediate backlash from advocacy groups and lawmakers, who warn that it will disproportionately harm seniors, disabled individuals, and rural residents who rely on the now-eliminated phone verification process. Internal SSA memos show that the agency expects millions of people to face new barriers to accessing their benefits and that field offices—already facing massive layoffs—will be overwhelmed with new demands.
“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.”
The decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive order directing federal agencies to review and potentially eliminate Biden-era policies that the administration claims “impinged on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.” However, critics say this move is deliberately engineering a crisis in Social Security in order to push for privatization—a longtime goal of conservative policymakers.
For decades, Social Security recipients have been able to confirm their identity over the phone, a method used by millions each year who either do not have internet access or are unable to visit an SSA office.
Under the new policy:
• Phone verification is eliminated entirely.
• Beneficiaries must either verify their identity online using an authentication system that many seniors struggle with, or
• Visit an SSA field office in person, even though the agency is closing dozens of locations across the country.
Internal SSA memos acknowledge the harm this change will cause. The agency estimates that 4.4 million recipients per year will now be required to visit a field office—an increase that could overwhelm the system and lead to major delays.
Doris Diaz, SSA acting deputy commissioner for operations, has warned Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek that the change would cause longer wait and processing times and send an estimated 75,000–85,000 beneficiaries per week into increasingly understaffed SSA field offices.
Yet Dudek defended the policy, stating:
“These changes are not intended to hurt our customers, but to make sure benefits go to the right customer at the right time.”
The decision to remove phone verification comes as Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a Trump administration initiative aimed at slashing government jobs and spending—make aggressive cuts to SSA operations.
Among the planned cuts:
• 7,000 SSA employees will be laid off.
• 47 SSA regional and local offices will be closed.
• Budget reductions will further strain resources at existing offices.
Critics warn that the SSA is being deliberately gutted under the guise of “efficiency.” Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), ranking Democrat on the Social Security Subcommittee, said the policy change is part of a broader effort to cripple Social Security and push for privatization.
“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,” Larson warned.
The advocacy group Social Security Works echoed these concerns, stating:
“This change will substantially delay [beneficiaries’] access to their earned benefits.”
The Trump administration claims the policy change is necessary to reduce fraud, arguing that Social Security is sending benefits to deceased Americans and undocumented immigrants.
However, internal SSA sources directly contradict these claims. A source at SSA told Judd Legum of Popular Information that there are “no significant concerns about fraud at intake” and that the real motivation behind the policy is to create additional hurdles to filing claims.
The X account for Social Security Works, an advocacy group focused on preserving the program, responded to the announcement by saying:
“It is part of an ongoing effort, driven by Elon Musk’s DOGE, to cause Social Security to collapse.”
Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, was even more direct:
“The new plan ‘will make it far harder for the American people to claim their earned benefits. It could even cause major delays, and ultimately collapse the system, by overwhelming the field offices.’”
Max Richtman, CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, added:
“The combination of fewer workers, fewer offices, and a massive increase in the demand for in-person services could sabotage the Social Security system.”
As the March 31 implementation date approaches, the Biden-aligned opposition in Congress is calling for emergency intervention to reverse the policy.
• Congressional Democrats are preparing legislation to reinstate phone verification.
• Advocacy groups are mobilizing to challenge the rule change in court.
• State governments may step in to provide alternative verification methods.
But if the policy is not reversed, the consequences could be severe:
• Millions of seniors and disabled individuals could see major delays in receiving their benefits.
• SSA field offices could be overwhelmed, leading to backlogs that further strain the system.
• Public frustration with Social Security could rise, playing directly into the hands of lawmakers pushing for privatization.
With SSA offices closing, staffing levels shrinking, and beneficiaries facing new barriers, this decision could have devastating consequences for millions of Americans.
Advocates warn that unless action is taken now, this could be the beginning of a push to dismantle Social Security altogether.
Nancy Altman put it bluntly:
“The new plan will make it far harder for the American people to claim their earned benefits. It could even cause major delays, and ultimately collapse the system, by overwhelming the field offices.”
Tell your members of Congress: Social Security must be protected and saved!
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