March 26 (UPI) — The Social Security Administration on Wednesday announced the delay of the rollout of an anti-fraud measure by two weeks and curtailing the number of benefits applicants affected.
The policy was set to take effect Sunday, and would have required all people filing benefit applications who cannot verify their identities through an online “my Social Security” account to visit a field office.
There are 1,200 field offices in the United States. About 65% of the applications are filed online.
This change would have affected people, including senior citizens and/or disabled, without the ability to travel to an office or know how to use a computer.
“We have listened to our customers, Congress, advocates and others,” Lee Dudek, Social Security’s acting commissioner, said in a statement. “And we are updating our policy to provide better customer service to the country’s most vulnerable populations.”
This delay also will “ensure our employees have the training they need to help customers,” Dudek said.
And this is coming as the agency, like others in the federal government, is shedding workers, including in the call centers.
The change now applies to those filing for retirement as well as for survivors or family benefits. It will take effect on April 14.
Those applying for disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income and Medicare can continue to file their claims over the phone.
“The agency will not enforce these requirements in extreme dire-need situations, such as terminal cases or prisoner pre-release scenarios,” Dudek said. “SSA is currently developing a process that will require documentation and management approval to bypass the policy in such dire need cases.”
Individuals who do not or cannot use the agency’s online my Social Security services to change their direct deposit information for any benefit will need to visit a Social Security office to process the change.
SSA plans to reduce its workforce by roughly 7,000 employees to 50,000, which is a 12% reduction.
“The agency plans to reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure, with a significant focus on functions and employees who do not directly provide mission critical services,” SSA said in a news release on Feb. 28.
Each year, SII processes 6 million new applications for retirement, survivor and Medicare programs.
The percentage of claims “processed timely” — about two weeks — is 85%.
On Tuesday, The Washington Post detailed long waits on the phone and in offices, and website crashes.
Frank Bisignano, the nominee to run SSA, appeared before Senators in a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Tuesday.
House Democrats accused Bisignano on Wednesday of lying about his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk, the world’s richest man who receives billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded government contracts for companies such as SpaceX, is “making a direct attack on America’s seniors,” Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a release.
Like other agencies, SSA recently required nearly all employees, including frontline employees in all offices throughout the country, to work in the office five days a week.
“This change ensures maximum staffing is available to support the stronger in-person identity proofing requirement,” according to the release Wednesday.
Approximately 73.2 million people receive Social Security benefits, including those getting Supplemental Security Income.
