The Social Security Administration said on Tuesday that people who wanted to file for benefits or change the bank where their payments are deposited could no longer do so by phone and must first verify their identity online or go into a field office.
The change, which takes effect on March 31, is expected to add stress to the agency’s already thinning work force, which is being significantly downsized as part of the broad effort to aggressively shrink the federal government. At the same time, the change would also make things more difficult for older and disabled beneficiaries who may have trouble getting into an office or struggle with online services.
“This change will substantially delay their access to their earned benefits,” said Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “All families with children who qualify for benefits will have to visit S.S.A. in person because children cannot have ‘my Social Security’ accounts.”
She noted that the average callback time on phones to make an in-person appointment is more than two hours and the wait time to make an in-person appointment is over a month. “These delays will only worsen as S.S.A. cuts thousands of staff and millions more people need to make appointments,” she added.
The agency said that it would allow people who do not or can’t use the agency’s online “my Social Security” services — which requires online identity proofing — to start their retirement or disability claims for benefits by phone. But the process wouldn’t be completed until the applicant’s identity was verified in person.
That’s why the agency has said it now suggests people to call the agency (1-800-772-1213) to both request an in-person appointment and begin their claim at the same time.
By using a service imported from the Treasury Department, the agency said it would be able to process all direct deposit change requests — in person and online — in one business day. Before, these changes were held for 30 days.
Still, district managers at the agency in internal discussions on Tuesday voiced concerns that implementing these changes with fewer staff members would be unrealistic, said one employee familiar with the conversations who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak with the press.
The Trump administration said the changes would further safeguard Social Security records and benefits against fraudulent activity. “Americans deserve to have their Social Security records protected with the utmost integrity and vigilance,” Lee Dudek, the acting commissioner of Social Security, said in a statement. “For far too long the agency has used antiquated methods for proving identity.”
The agency has announced plans to cut up to 12 percent of its work force, at a time its staffing is at a 50-year low. It has also offered early retirement and other incentives to the entire staff, and will close six of its 10 regional offices, which coordinate and provide support to employees.
Of its 1,200 field offices that directly serve the public, more than 40 are to be closed, according to Social Security Works, an advocacy group. The group is trying to track the changes but said that its data was based on an unreliable list released by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Alexandra Berzon contributed reporting.
