Social Security Launching Major Update to 'Identity Proofing' Payments to 70 Million Americans

The Social Security Administration (SSA) will implement a series of "stronger identity verification procedures," impacting the way people can claim benefits.

As of March 31, benefit claimants won't be able to verify their identities over the phone. This means that those not able to do so online will have to travel to an agency field office to complete the process in person.

The change could particularly affect those living in rural communities, who would have to travel long distances to get their identities verified. The change will impact both new applicants and existing recipients who want to change their direct deposit information

"Over the next two weeks, SSA will carefully transition to stronger identity proofing procedures for both benefit claims and direct deposit changes," SSA said in a press release.

A leaked memo from last week detailed that 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. The change is mainly aimed at addressing "fraud risk."

The latest version of the memo acknowledges that "Service Disruption" and "Operational Strain" is "a risk and challenge" of implementing this plan. There would be "increased field office traffic, longer call wait times and delayed processing," wrote Social Security commissioner for operations Doris Diaz in a passage of the memo.

Diaz also acknowledges in the memo that the proposed verification requirements would affect more "vulnerable populations," though she doesn't specify who she is referencing. The memo added that an additional 75,000 to 85,000 people could need to visit field offices every week as a result. It added that frontline staff was brought back to the office five days a week to ensure "maximum staffing."

An earlier version of the memo goes into more detail about its significance, which was omitted from the final version. "The consequence of reduced service channels could be significant," the initial memo said. "For example, an individual who closes a bank account could have benefits suspended if unable to access in-person service." Or, "an individual plainly entitled to benefits is prevented from applying."

The memo was sent one day after the agency denied, in a press release, a report that detailed it was scrapping its toll-free phone line. That shift would have directed elderly and disabled people to rely on the internet and in-person field offices to process their claims, curtailing a service that 73 million Americans have relied on for decades to access earned government benefits.

The phone service proposals came less than a month after members of the DOGE team arrived at Social Security headquarters and began looking for ways to cut what they labeled "fraud, waste and abuse" as part of their mandate from President Donald Trump to slim down the government.