It will become more difficult to receive pensions and benefits in the US due to Trump's innovations

An internal Social Security Administration (SSA) memo sent out March 13 and obtained by The Post Popular Information, describes proposed changes to the application process that could cause significant processing delays and prevent many Americans from applying for or receiving benefits.

Photo: Calvin L. Leake | Dreamstime.com

The memo, authored by SSA Acting Deputy Commissioner Doris Diaz, claims the changes are intended to reduce “fraud risks.”

Elon Musk has spread several false claims about the extent of fraud in the Social Security system. In a recent interview with Fox Business, Musk claimed that 10% of federal spending is due to Social Security fraud. This is not true. Fraud does exist, but the amount of “improper” payments is about $9 billion per year — less than 1% of total Social Security benefits paid out and 0,1% of the federal budget. Most of these payments are not criminal fraud, but are due to recipients or the SSA failing to update their records.

On the subject: 4 social security traps in the US and how to avoid them

The biggest change proposed in Diaz’s memo is a requirement for “online verification of identity” for “filing applications…by telephone.” If an SSA customer “cannot use the internet to verify identity, they will need to visit a local office to provide identification in person.”

Currently, customers can apply and verify their identity without using the internet or visiting an SSA office. Fraud is extremely rare because numerous safeguards are already in place. After calling, customers must provide their Social Security number, date of birth, parents' names, mother's maiden name, and mother's date of birth. After the application is submitted, the information provided is verified against tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, and medical records, depending on the type of application. In the event of a discrepancy, the customer must mail a copy of the birth certificate. Currently, about 40% of all applications are processed over the phone.

Because the SSA serves a significant number of seniors and people with disabilities, many of them do not have access to the internet. Under the new system, these categories of citizens will have to visit an office in person to have their application processed. Diaz’s memo estimated that implementing the policy would require 75 to 000 in-person visits to SSA offices per week.

Currently, the agency’s offices do not have the capacity to handle this volume of applicants. According to the latest data, SSA offices saw an average of 2023 visitors daily in 119. An additional 128 visits per week would increase the caseload by 85%. SSA offices no longer accept walk-ins, and wait times for appointments, even before these changes, averaged more than a month.

Demand for in-person visits can be expected to soar as SSA cuts staff and closes offices. Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek announced 7 layoffs, or about 000% of the workforce. At the same time, dozens of SSA offices are closing, forcing people to travel more than 12 miles to get to the nearest office. For now, the agency is limiting phone service, with some offices shutting down in-person visits entirely and switching to phone-only service.

An SSA source said there are “no significant concerns about fraud at the application stage,” since benefits are not being paid at that stage. In addition, there are already multiple layers of identity verification before an application is approved. The source said the new identification requirements create “additional barriers to filing and overburden the system.”

The memo acknowledges that the policy changes will create “additional hardship for vulnerable individuals.” This effectively means that many seniors and people with disabilities will be physically unable to get to SSA offices. It is unclear how these people will be able to receive benefits under these circumstances.

Taken together, layoffs, office closures, and a surge in demand for in-person care could devastate the Social Security system and effectively deprive many Americans of the benefits they are entitled to.

Diaz’s memo acknowledges all of this. It predicts “service disruptions,” “operational overload,” and “budget deficits.” It also notes that denying benefits to people who can’t use the internet or get to an office will lead to “legal challenges and congressional scrutiny.”

"DOGE's Bypass Maneuver"

On March 12, the day before Diaz’s memo appeared, The Washington Post reported that the SSA was considering a proposal to “stop processing applications by phone.” The Post cited current and former officials as warning that such a move would “disrupt SSA’s internal operations and jeopardize its ability to serve citizens.”

In response to the Washington Post article, the Social Security Administration issued a press release stating that “media reports about SSA’s plans to end phone service are inaccurate.” The agency said phone service would only be stopped in cases where recipients want to change their bank account information.

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Diaz's March 13 memo appears to be a way to implement the original policy without formally eliminating phone claims service. According to the document, customers will be able to submit claims by phone, but they will be considered "unverified" until their identity is verified online or in person.

An SSA source believes that Diaz's memo is a "DOGE workaround." Note.). The agency may formally state that citizens are still entitled to submit applications by phone. However, the essence of the new policy is that such applications will not be approved without online confirmation or an in-person visit.

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