The Social Security Administration said on Tuesday that people seeking retirement or survivor benefits could continue to file applications over the phone, reversing a much criticized change that was expected to force tens of thousands of Americans to visit offices in person each week.
The agency has been in a state of tumult ever since Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency arrived inside its headquarters, enacting deep staff cuts and other policy and technical changes, which has caused widespread anxiety and confusion among both employees and beneficiaries.
The planned restriction on phone services was one of those changes: Social Security said last month that individuals could no longer file for benefits or make changes to direct deposit banking over the phone. The policy, which was to take effect on April 14, was announced as part of a broader effort to reduce fraud, particularly around direct deposits. But the change came as Mr. Musk and other administration officials repeatedly exaggerated fraud levels to the public — providing no evidence for their claims.
“The agency has assessed cases of widespread fraud in teleclaims and found minimal instances,” Doris Diaz, the agency’s acting deputy commissioner for operations, said in an April 7 memo obtained by The New York Times, to Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner.
After backlash from beneficiary advocates and lawmakers, who pointed out that phone restrictions would route more people to field offices as their staff levels were being cut, the phone restrictions were partly rolled back. Less than two weeks after the change was announced, the agency said it would allow people to use the phone to file for disability, Supplemental Security Income and Medicare. Those filing for retirement or survivors benefits, however, were still required to file online or in a field office.
But now, those restrictions have largely been reversed. Everyone, including those filing for retirement or survivor claims, will be able to do so over the phone, unless their files are flagged as being suspicious. (In that case, individuals will need to provide identification in person, just as they do when online claims are flagged.) Beneficiaries looking to make changes to their direct deposit accounts, however, will need to do so either online or in person at a field office.