The Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE crew are continuing their shakeup of the Social Security Administration (SSA) as they continue to hunt for massive fraud that doesn’t exist at the agency.
This week, the DOGE hunt shifted into a new gear that will hurt millions of people applying for benefits. The SSA announced that it no longer will process benefit claims through its toll free phone line unless applicants provide separate proof of identity. So, if you want to apply for a benefit, you’ll need to do it through a personal Social Security online account (which I’ve been recommending that you set up anyway) or by visiting a field office with documents that prove your identity.
The notion that this process will eliminate widespread fraud is ridiculous. Less than one percent of benefits paid are done so improperly, and most of that results not from fraud but errors and delays in updating SSA records on beneficiary status. Those dollars very often wind up being repaid to the agency.
What’s more, no benefits are awarded at the point of application - Social Security always goes through elaborate processes to verify identity before benefits are paid.
This new DOGE process will create chaos at Social Security field offices. About 40% of Social Security benefit claim intakes occur through the toll free line, and an internal SSA memo predicts that the new procedures will result in 75,000 - to 85,000 additional field office per week. This at a time when DOGE is laying off 12% of SSA staff and closing dozens of field offices around the country.
Judd Legum at Popular Information has been covering the story well and in detail - here is his latest post. The Washington Post also has been on top of the story - here’s the latest from the paper. And here’s the New York Times coverage.
The new process is expected to become active in about two weeks. There is no indication at this point that the changes will affect people already receiving benefits.
The online “identity proofing” process involves entering your personal details on the SSA website (name, SSN, date of birth, mailing address and phone number). The SSA then relies on credit reporting bureaus, a photo ID that you upload for review and some other steps. You can find the the details here.
This new process will have the largest impact on Americans who are least equipped to deal with it - low income seniors, disabled people and others without access to computers or smartphones. Any situation involving application for benefits for children (survivors of deceased parents) will require in-person visits, since children can’t have online accounts.
What’s more, the only way to visit a field office these days is with an appointment - and that can take a month or more.
It’s a cruel, dumb policy.
The National Academy of Social Insurance hosted a bipartisan panel of experts last week to talk about what’s developing at the SSA. The session featured two former agency commissioners (one Democrat, one Republican), and several experts on how the agency operates.
It’s worth a listen.