In order to combat fraud, the Social Security Administration will now require participants to provide proof of identification when applying for rewards or changing their direct loan information, a change that may affect millions of consumers and candidates.
Participants will no longer be able to use the telephone to verify their identity as of March 31. They will either need to visit a Social Security office or file online for a” My Social Security” accounts. The change may be applicable to both current recipients and new applicants who want to update their direct loan information.  ,
The demand for tighter scam controls comes as Elon Musk, a billionaire, is attempting to reduce the size of the federal government and combat waste and fraud. Presidents Donald Trump and Musk have focused more on what they claim are poor payments coming from the company that pays pensioners for retirement.
Prior to implementing the new measures, the company does teach employees for the next two weeks, according to SSA on Tuesday. Once enrolled, applicants will be able to have funds deposited in one company time, a decrease of the past 30 days.
Expand has taken a saw to the organization’s operations as a result of the decision to hinder assistance on the phone. The organization announced plans to cut up to 12 % of its workforce at a time when SSA’s personnel is at a 50-year small. It intends to shut down six of its ten regional offices and offer early retirement to the staff, with up to$ 25, 000 in payments.
According to the Washington Post, the change, according to an internal note from the acting deputy director for operations, Doris Diaz, found that it could lead to longer wait times and “increased issues for vulnerable groups.” According to the memo, between 75 and 85 000 customers would be contacted by neighborhood field offices each week.
According to the DOGE website, staff at the agency said they were perplexed by the changes because the agency intends to end leases on numerous offices across the nation.  ,
An employee who has worked for the agency for more than ten years said,” I’m just not sure how this is going to work because there will now need to be many more in-person appointments,” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. It makes no difference that the fund deposit period was shortened because it now necessitated a visit, and some seniors may be forced to travel far distances because some locations have been closed.
The person questioned why Voluntarily Early Retirement [was ] being offered to workers in operations, who don’t have enough people.” Having staff return to work indicated a shift to more in-person appointments. Simply put,” It doesn’t seem very intuitive.”
Leland Dudek, the agency’s acting commissioner, downplayed the impact on a phone call with the press on Tuesday evening, claiming that many of the sites did not provide in-person services to members of the public. He mentioned that a location in New York was shut down for “health and safety reasons,” but he didn’t specify which of the three locations.
Direct deposit fraud is costing us over$ 100 million annually, according to Dudek during the call. We are going to adjust our policy and procedures to adapt to that volume because we understand that this will drive some field volume.
This change is not intended to deter our customers; instead, it is meant to ensure the right payment is made to the right recipient at the right time. It is a commonsense measure that every bank employs, he continued.
Dudek stated that he “made a commitment to the White House and Congress that we will closely monitor the situation, and we will take necessary actions to improve those services” if the changes are [to the detriment of our citizens that we serve.
Democrats are criticizing the changes, pointing out that they could harm older people who live in rural areas or those who lack access to transportation.
I’m deeply concerned by reports that Trump’s Social Security Administration might start outphasing out phone support for seniors and making them go to only online or in person for help.
Make seniors ‘ benefits so difficult to access that they are unable to access them at all, according to the goal.
— Mark Warner ( @MarkWarner ) March 18, 2025
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA ) expressed his concern over Trump’s Social Security Administration’s potential phasing out of phone support for seniors in a post on X on Tuesday.  ,
“Make seniors ‘ benefits so difficult to access that they are unable to access them at all, according to the goal.”
Dudek acknowledged mistakes made during his brief tenure as agency leader and released a memo to staff detailing downsizing plans and efforts to implement artificial intelligence earlier on Tuesday.
In a memo obtained by the Washington Examiner, he wrote,” I have made some mistakes. I’ll still make mistakes, but I’ll learn from them, he says.
The Social Security Administration’s government watchdog found last year that there were nearly$ 72 billion in improper payments between 2015 and 2022, or less than 1 % of the total benefits received during that time. According to the report, the majority of those payments were overpaid, not to deceased Americans or those who did not qualify for them.
Frank Bisignano, a financial tech executive who was chosen by President Donald Trump to lead the agency permanently, will be confirmed by the Senate Finance Committee next week.
