“From April 14, social security will make an anti-fraud check on all complaints filed by telephone and flag complaints that have risk indicators of fraud,” they wrote. “We will continue to carry out 100% identity for all complaints in person. 4.5 million telephone complaints per year and 70k could be reported. ”
However, defenders of the elderly and disabled people argued that these changes were showing obstacles to services for many people that the agency is required to serve. This policy was also included in a legal challenge to the rights groups of people with disabilities against the agency which was deposited last week (PDF).
Social Security Administration manages a series of programs for the elderly and people with disabilities. In addition to retirement services – which constitute the largest share of services – the agency also manages programs that offer benefits and disability and additional income for the very poor. According to the latest monthly data, more than 50 million Americans received retirement services from the SSa in February and thousands of Americans qualify every day for the advantages.
Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and CBPP’s disability policy, told NPR that these new verification requirements in person will be “really heavy” for the many Americans who are eligible for these advantages, especially those who live in more rural regions of the country.
On the one hand, she said, it is already “a long process” to obtain an appointment for the services in person.
“There is no way to make an appointment online,” said Romig. “So you have to call number 800 of the agency. At the moment, the wait for a social security reminder is two and a half hours. And it is if you are doing everything. Most people do not do it.”
She also said that once someone will go and have made an appointment, he generally waits for “more than 28 days for the next meeting” which is available.
And for many disabled seniors and Americans, said Romig, an appointment in person is not physically feasible.
“Not everyone drives, especially the elderly or people with disabilities,” she said. “And not everyone is able to leave the house. Think of people confined to the house or hospitalized. So, it is incredibly heavy for older and disabled people that the SSA serves. ”
Romig said that this new policy disproportionately affects each bereaved person who requests the performance of a Social Security survivor, because it does not have the possibility of applying online.
“It is the social security version of life insurance, a widow or a widower or a surviving child of a deceased worker,” she said. “These are the monthly benefits that Social Security calls surviving insurance. Thus, all these people must go in person to request services because there is no online option for this. ”
And even when the beneficiaries are able to apply online, there are still obstacles, according to the CBPP report.
“Many elderly people and disabled people lack internet services, computers or smartphones, or technological flavor to navigate a multi-stage and multi-factor online verification process,” wrote researchers. “Even if SSA encourages people to do online business, the government’s ministry of efficiency (DOGE) is making changes to online identity authentication that trigger system failures and access problems.”
Romig has said that current sections on agency personnel also like waiting times for people in person will continue to grow.
