Social Security Administration to require in-person identity checks for new and existing recipients

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — In an effort to limit fraudulent claims, the Social Security Administration will impose tighter identity-proofing measures — which will require millions of recipients and applicants to visit agency field offices rather than interact with the agency over the phone.

Beginning March 31st, people will no longer be able to verify their identity to the SSA over the phone and those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency’s “my Social Security” online service, will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process, agency leadership told reporters Tuesday.

The change will apply to new Social Security applicants and existing recipients who want to change their direct deposit information.

Retiree advocates warn that the change will negatively impact older Americans in rural areas, including those with disabilities, mobility limitations, those who live far from SSA offices and have limited internet access.

-snip-

By FATIMA HUSSEIN
Updated 6:48 PM EDT, March 18, 2025


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/social-security-fraud-waste-doge-elon-musk-212e3089951f731fd3f83443e104b315

[Ellipsis]

1. That's a 120 mile round trip drive for me.

[Attilatheblond]

33. About the same for me. Since it took weeks just to get a phone call appointment in 2015, not sure if/when I can get in.

Elon making it impossible for federal workers to serve the public and then the GOP pushes 'Privatization' as an answer. Lets corporations take a cut out of every interaction.

[Ellipsis]

42. For an appointment... same here.The phone support was some of the best I've ever had.

[Mr. Evil]

44. How's that for efficiency!?

On top of forcing people (like you) to drive for hours and then wait for hours more in line at the SS office, there probably won't be enough staffers to handle the deluge. Great job Elon! So efficient!

[IronLionZion]

58. Until they close more offices

anyone who is too old or disabled to drive can be impressed by Elon Musk's super efficient cutting of fraud, waste, and abuse.

[RazorbackExpat]

67. I'm still waiting for Eloon to investigate waste, fraud and abuse

in Tesla, Starlink and SpaceX contracts

[IronLionZion]

75. Oh he's investigating abuse, as in how to do as much abuse as he can get away with.

After firing people at FAA, he's offering SpaceX to help with aviation safety.

[Walleye]

2. These tightwads and heartless morons want to put up every road block possible

To keep people from getting their benefits. This is the way they pay their bills and everything else “so sue me” is their attitude.

[OMGWTF]

15. The Rethuglicans are using the same tactics to suppress Democratic votes.

[Walleye]

87. Yes, I thought the same thing. They've been doing this shit for years. They are so practiced at this kind of rhetoric.

[WhiteTara]

3. If you don't change your direct deposit

are you required to personally verify your existence?

[SilasSouleII]

21. I don't think so

Not yet. But give it time...

[WhiteTara]

22. Thanks for the reply. I'm so anxious.

[electric_blue68]

25. B-r-e-a-t-h-e..... I hear you!

[WhiteTara]

36. evreything is so tumultous at our house

We're trying to sell the property and I keep getting bids and then, it's a no show and each successive bid is exponentially higher than the last! Yikes, and then the felon and associates keep yanking my chain over our major source of income.

But thanks, I'm breathing deep and trying to meditate, but that's going poorly.

[electric_blue68]

47. You have a Full Plate! And then some, with drumphf's dangerous, or theeatened actions.

SS is my only income along Medicare & Medicaid. Soooo.... I have to beat my anxiety off with a stick regarding drmphf, and Eloon/DOGE actual, or potential plans!

[WhiteTara]

62. I find it hard to keep my joy.

[electric_blue68]

74. I totally get it.... as you can think of joy as small sips of an elixar of hope (whch can be so lacking these days)....

🚨 long, hopefully interesting enough

Maybe think of joy as an occasional lotus rising through the mud of awfulness. I'm very connected to the lotus from a young age.

I remember seeing your user name maybe 2 yrs ago. Having a bit of familiarity with Buddhism reading up on it. Having had a World Religions course in College. Seen Buddhist art, too. I looked up who she was.

Let me share two personal stories of joy in difficult, and sometimes despairing times for me.

I worked in te NE corner office 73rd flr of South Tower 2 of the World Trader Center - '80 - '81. Extraordinary views! Watched them being built from The East Village in art college. Sort of made fun of the buildings, but fell in love w them while working there.

You can imagine the extra personal horror I felt during, and after 9-11. Some weeks afterwards during some art project sort of workshop I realized that I should "allow" joy despite the awfulness. I shouldn't feel bad about having it when I did. So I made a "banner" on paper with big lattering saying: "I still chose joy!".

After my mom died in 2008 I was devastated bc it was a sudden, unexpected, complex series of events, conditions; one freakish major thing of the past (20+ yrs!) causing the havoc with a new event.

So one day I was riding on the bus some weeks later, and saw a blooming flower pot on a windowsill. A joyful moment! Then I felt guilty for feeling joy during my time of deep grieving. Well, later I thought: my mom would want me to continue to find joy in all the ways I did. That relieved me from feeling bad.
---------------------------------------------
The Lotus

In a Science and Nature book series when I was around 12 yrs old there was a series of B&W photos of a Japanese scientist trying to raise 2,000 yr old lotus seeds! The final photo was in color, a beautiful shell pink lotus in bloom.
I was entranced!

I'd eventually see lotuses in Art usually from Japan, China, and India. I saw my first one at a special private ?museum. Then nothing.

A calendar yrs after that showed those same kind of lotuses at our NY (Bronx) Botanical Garden. Also the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. This was in March of that yr in the '80's.

Well, I went that summer, and almost every summer afterwards! So nany different varieties! Not during covid. Last year, again but too late ($ issue, my sis took me through a non-NYBG perk) to see more than one fading away, one new shoot coming up. Of course, the leaves were lovely.

So that's my lotus story. I've drawn them from life at the NYBG, and know some well enough to draw on my own.

[GardenGnome]

34. Me too.

It seems to me that people who live outside the U.S. but receive Social Security will be choice targets.

[WhiteTara]

37. you are so right

That's another wrinkle for people just trying to live.

[markodochartaigh]

64. That's already happening.

https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/social-security/social-security-payments-suspended-for-americans-abroad

[GardenGnome]

72. This was business as usual

Social Security recipients who live outside the US have always received these forms. We're allowed a reasonable period of time to respond, and warned up front that Social Security benefits would be suspended if the forms were not returned in the time allotted. It wasn't an attempt to defraud anyone. Just the department making sure the recipient was still alive and living at the listed address.

[NBachers]

26. As soon as I read the article, I signed into my Social Security using Login.gov. Everything was quick and instantaneous

and just the way it's always been. I checked my messages for overpayments or other news about identity verification. No overpayments, and no messages about identity verification. So I'm assuming so far so good. But I'm not making any changes.

So as far as I can see, the answer to your question is "No." But why not sign in and see for yourself?

Edited to add: I also went to my email and did a search for ssa.gov. A few routine emails, but nothing alarming.

[Attilatheblond]

35. Checking is one thing. But what about CHANGING things like were Direct Deposits go?

That is likely on many minds as we try to keep Elon from robbing us.

[Deminpenn]

68. The rationale would be if someone hacked into your account

and had the direct deposit go to them and not you.

[WhiteTara]

39. My problem with that is that my account login is so

screwed up, I just quit trying and have called SS in the past, but I rarely need anything.

[travelingthrulife]

86. Good to hear. I haven't been able to get on after multiple times trying but

maybe Elon and his Merry Band of Incels were busy messing it up at the moment.

[Mr.Bee]

51. I could find NOTHING

about this or any mention of verification or appointment for verification on the Social Security website.
They DID have all my information though, and I was able to download a pdf verification letter.

[TygrBright]

4. After closing half the field offices and firing 2/3 of the staff, this will work REALLY WELL

[WhiteTara]

23. Isn't that the plan?

the time allowance is cruelty personified.

[WestMichRad]

48. Without a doubt, that's the plan.

They want to show how screwed up government is, to bolster their argument for privatization. The fact that it was their sabotage of the SSA will be swept under the rug.

[sdfernando]

71. As we like to say in the IT world

It’s not a bug, it’s a feature!

Ugh! I HATE this, just when I’m getting ready to apply In the next few months.

[spooky3]

5. No fraud has been uncovered. Another "solution" without a problem.

There needs to be a lawsuit about this, which is obviously intended to discourage people from getting their earned benefits.

[Woodycall]

6. Perhaps to some extent...

...but I think their main goal is to cause anxiety, distrust, distress, and frustration so they can "sour" people's attitude toward the SSA and make them more "receptive" to privatization. Then they can, As George Carlin said "Give to their criminal friends on Wall Street - so they can steal it".

[BattleRow]

24. What used to be referred to as deny and delay.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Same trick they use for voter suppression. . . . nt

[Silent Type]

8. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't want someone diverting my SS by scamming staff over phone.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. Insane. Driver's license, passport, Real ID are all verified already.

Do they think payroll taxes are coming in from ghosts? Decades of IRS tax returns. This is pure evil.

[Cha]

10. Fuck Mump & the Fucking Fascist Frauds.

[TimeToGo]

11. They just want to break the system

[Bengus81]

12. Existing recipients too? Uhh..You took money out of my paychecks for five years starting in 1970

then I paid you in deposits and when filing taxes for the other 42 YEARS I was self-employed,had employees blah blah and yet you'd need me to verify who I am?

[drray23]

57. only if you are trying to change your status or your automatic deposit apparently.nt.

[IronLionZion]

59. Or they'll declare you dead and you have to prove you're still alive

it has already happened to people.

[Puppyjive]

13. Some of this is bs

Enumeration at birth allows new parents to apply for a social security card for their infant while in the hospital. Works pretty smoothly. We process social security cards for legal immigrants and we never do that over the phone. We have to verify immigration status. In other words, don't believe all of this shit.

[bluestarone]

14. Can judges stop this order?

I hope so.

[EarthFirst]

16. So prior to firing scores of employees and shuttering dozens of field offices...

…the average deposit change request was 30 days; now suddenly they can perform the operation in 24 hours?

The math ain’t mathing…

[Cheezoholic]

17. While I have proper web credentials to do do most things online if I have to go that's 95 miles round trip

I'm taking my neighbor down the road (I live in the country) there tomorrow to get him setup properly online. His wife passed last year and he had a stroke 6 months ago and can't drive right now. 70 years old, farmed his land with his wife for 50 years. He leases the land now and with this shit FatAss is doing some of the other farmers/farming conglomerates that lease his land are on the fence whether they will plant his fields this year. He's having trouble getting a price commitment that will make him a dime. This shit is so fucked up.

[iluvtennis]

18. Absolutely ridiculous. Many people of social security age are averse to using computers/online services and phone

service is critical for them. And also critical for disabled and rural recipients.

Fk Don the Con and Muskrat.

[LisaL]

45. ITA. There are people who are disabled, in nursing homes, etc.

They are unable to personally go to social security offices.

[Pototan]

19. I'm collecting my Social Security overseas

in the Philippines by direct deposit.

That's a 6,000 mile trip for me.

[Igel]

20. Ah. I understand today's SSA email.

I don't get SSA emails. I'm not signed up for OASI and until today wasn't signed up for Medicare (nor have I ever been signed up for Medicaid or disability).

But instead of a piece of paper in my snail-mail box it wanted me to click on a link to verify my future benefits, listed, 'natch, by year of retirement. I declined to click the link and instead went to the site itself, verifying that the link was valid. Got logged in after setting up my "my social security" account.

So now no more bits of paper for the landfill.

[progree]

27. the new memo proposes changes that will further limit what people can do by phone.

Axios, 3/17/25
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143420348

Leaked memo: DOGE plots to cut Social Security phone support

. . . The agency, at the time, said the change would only preclude people from changing their bank account information by phone.

But the new memo — issued one day later — proposes changes that will further limit what people can do by phone. Under the proposal, phone service would still be available to people who call the agency and don't need to verify their identity, like someone making a general inquiry,

[liberal N proud]

28. Even if there was this purported fraud claim by the Nazi.

The 2024 report did not conclude there was more than $70 billion in Social Security “fraud” – it said that the program sent almost $71.8 billion in “improper payments” from 2015 to 2022, a period that includes Trump’s first term. That is less than 1% of overall payments in that timeframe.

https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2025/social-security-fraud-waste-abuse-statistics/

[defacto7]

29. So for the time being do not change your direct deposit info.

If you want distance between the deposit and your regular account, get a second bank account for regular banking and use your old account only for SS deposits.

That won't help is you move out of the country.

on edit: If your old account is hacked and you need to cancel it ... you are stuck!

[Attilatheblond]

40. Have pretty much set that up already, but...

if Elon decides to 'claw back' payments made from my late husband's account, which I opted to receive in lieu of mine, how do I keep Elon's hands off my money? He can set computers to pull back the deposits before any of us can move the money into a 'safe account'. It's a real worry for people and that's not good for anybody's health.

[defacto7]

43. I think the best you can do

is move the money to the new account the moment it arrives. It usually arrives just after midnight, I'm not sure, but the sooner the better. I wouldn't leave anything but a little maintenance cash in any account connected to the government.

[Daleuhlmann]

30. How in the Hell Will This Make the S S A More Efficient?

Oh, and reducing the number of telephone operators at the agency so that callers will have to wait even LONGER on the line for help: that will be REALLY efficient!

[turbinetree]

31. Time to take to the streets ..................end of story.................

[ProudMNDemocrat]

32. We have Direct Deposit.

My husband's in the middle of the month. Mine a week later.

When the Rent statement comes in, my husband checks the account to make sure the SS Checks are there. So far, nothing has been tampered with.

[FakeNoose]

50. I think the barriers are being set up for the new claims, not for those who are already receiving benefits

I receive my check via Direct Deposit also, and I haven't seen any delays (yet.) However my Social Security benefit didn't start until I made a personal visit to the federal office in downtown Pittsburgh. They would not accept my identification via email or regular mail. Once I went in person, it was cleared up immediately and my benefits were paid retroactively.

In the future, it won't be so easy for new claims to be initiated, at least not while we have a Repuke in the White House.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

82. My husband is 80. I turn 73 the end of May.

I started drawing SS at 62. We went to the Rochester Office and I did mine in person. Then I also put in my application for Medicare, which kicked in in 2017. Just in time for me to have replacement Cataract surgery for a lens that slipped out of place in my left eye(the good one) and I was literally blind. (My right one was covered with a cataract that could not come out for the Disease I have had since being diagnosed in 1984 at the NIH.)

My husband invested wisely for Retirement as well throughout his working years, even during the lean years prior to 1996, when his IBM Retirement kicked in. He remained in the Minnesota Air National Guard as well, worked odd jobs, until landing a job as an Electronic Tech at a local Manufacturing plant with a UAW Local for 10 years. Up until 2 years ago, he worked part-time at one of the Golf Courses near where we currently live. His health now is slowly breaking down. How much longer he has to live, I do not know.

We are some of the lucky ones in that we have other forms of income other than Social Security. I do realize that many Americans do not have much saved in addition to SS. Any CUTS will be felt by all, including us. Joe Biden did all he could to keep the program going strong for even those who did not vote for him. They are now realizing that.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

38. Maybe I should write McConnell and Paul and require them to send me their identities.

I strongly suspect they both are fake senators.....

Apparently, none of these thug do-gooders have ever had to visit a SS office.


KY.......

[Attilatheblond]

41. LOL! And make them PROVE who they are before every single Senate vote on every single Senate action!

Sauce for the goose & all that.

[turbinetree]

49. Good idea think I could ask Andy Harris if he can drive me to the local SS and wait until I am done................

if I have problems with my SS payments............maybe I will give him a call ...................

[orangecrush]

46. Nazi fuck

[Joinfortmill]

52. Fucking with the Third Rail is going to be their undoing.

[AZ8theist]

65. That USED to be true......I'm not so sure anymore.

MAGAts are so fucking stupid they will think anything Dear Leader does will benefit them.
Including dying.

[not fooled]

77. Yep. Remember they killed hundreds of thousands

by screwing up the COVID-19 response, yet paid no political price.

This country, I dunno....actually, by now we do--no bueno.

[SunSeeker]

53. Disabled/ill elderly will not be able to do this, their benefits will be cut off, causing homelessness and death.

This is basically pushing grandma off the cliff.

[area51]

54. This is outrageous.

[bucolic_frolic]

55. Probably an LGBTQ check. Drop your drawers.

[electric_blue68]

56. Thank goodness (for now) the direct deposit change I needed to get done was done some weeks back....

If I'm able to stay where I am it should stay the same for a good while.

What might be a problem for me in the future? Who knows. Yeeeesh!

At least I'm in a big city, can get around easily, have good public transit, SS office not too far away.

[Bluestocking]

60. Mostly affect red rural areas

I live in Eastern Massachusetts where there are 18 social security offices. Closest a few miles and the furthest about 40 miles. We have decent public transportation as well as transportation services for elderly and disabled. This is going to mostly affect rural republican voting areas. This is a good thing for the downfall of the Republican Party. If our democracy is going to recover it needs to really hurt the Magats.

[jgo]

61. I want to let everyone know -

I just went through signing up for SS 6 months ago. Depending on where you live there may be specific rules. In my case, these two things did apply.

1. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GO TO ANY SS OFFICE, if there is more than one near you. You may be required to go to the one assigned to you.

2. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SHOW UP IN PERSON AND BE SEEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN APPOINTMENT.

The key thing to know, again for some offices, not necessarily all, is that you may need an appointment at the assigned SS office for you, first.

[RobinA]

83. As A Former

social worker who has dealt extensively with SS for clients through the years, I would ALWAYS suggest making an appointment. Yeah, it can take awhile, but at least you know that when you drag the confused client to the office you will be able to accomplish something productive. Also you don't have to sit in a packed office for a day, maybe only a couple hours.

[Baitball Blogger]

63. These four years won't go by fast enough.

[sakabatou]

66. So what the hell will people do who CAN'T get an in-person appointment?!

Oh, that's right, they'll be cut.


Evil bastards.

[Deminpenn]

69. These new rules are understandable

As a fed covered under CSRS, I don't qualify for soc security. Yet someone was able to go online and create an account under my name. I only discovered this because SSA mailed a letter to complete the process which came to my address. I called the local office and they were pretty non-chalant about it so I wrote them a letter explaining that there should be no account for benefits in my name ever because I don't qualify. Ultimately the local SSA office deleted the account.

[stoned]

81. Why do you not qualify for SS?

[Deminpenn]

93. Civil service retirement system

is separate from soc security.

It was changed to FERS, a defined contribution system, under Reagan in 1984. FERS has a soc security component so feds who retire under that system do get social security.

[FailureToCommunicate]

70. How thoughtless! That's going to make it A LOT harder for dead people.

[snot]

73. In my location,

it was already almost impossible to get in to see a human at the SSA office even as of several years ago -- the office was only open 3 days a week, and by 7 or 8 am, the line to get in was around the block.

[Xipe Totec]

76. Verify that you're alive or die trying. Too clever by half. nt

[rumpel]

78. Masters of inefficiency

[RandySF]

79. We took out son to the office shortly after he was born.

[Jacson6]

80. The phone lines to congressional offices is going to start ringing off the hook.

I'm afraid that many of my neighbors are not computer savvy. Most of them still use flip phones. That will make Trump change his mind or face a revolt in Congress.

[travelingthrulife]

84. The agency field offices they closed? These people are monsters.

[Rambo123]

85. Plan all the time

This was their plan all along. SS was run so efficiently

[LetMyPeopleVote]

90. Welcome to DU

[IzzaNuDay]

88. This could potentially inconvenience women

For example, bring birth certificate, marriage license, divorce orders to prove your name. Like that proposed SAVE act….

[Ping Tung]

89. In anohter display of his humanitarian impulses Don strikes a blow against the elderly.

My wife is 85 and has Parkinson's. She worked for over 30 years.

I was a Fed so not eligible for SS. but put in 30 years as a public servant. USMC 4 years USPS.26.

Will Don and his pal Elon have to be checked for fraud? Or is that a given?

[FakeNoose]

91. I was required to do an in-person meeting and ID check at SSA 3 years ago

Joe Biden was President, but it didn't matter. The SSA wouldn't start my benefits until they saw my actual IDs (and me) in person. It wasn't good enough to email or slow-mail copies of my documents.

Once I came to the SSA office in downtown Pittsburgh, the issues were cleared up immediately and my benefits started right away, Including retroactive payment for the months I missed. I don't think this is a new thing, it's just something that is hardline enforced now that Chump is back in the Oval Office.

The new twist is that they're closing many convenient local offices in small towns and cities, so now a "trip to SSA" could mean a long drive of several hours for many folks.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

92. I will be 69 in a few weeks....

i took early retirement at 62 for health and other reasons.. one being trying to get my money before the Republicans slashed it. (It took longer than I thought, but hey, it's here)

From my genealogy research both sides of my family have been in the US prior to 1750. Do you know how much I DETEST the South African and repugnant orange menace ticks me off?

The Soc Sec Office isn't far away from where I live and I always like chatting with people so if I have to somehow present myself in person... it's a pissser but really not that big of deal.

EXCEPT... my credentials are in my bloodlines... and to be questioned by these 'newbies' really grinds my gears! (yeah ,a vague Family Guy reference.. so sew me.. .I mean sue me! LOL)