Trump administration’s Social Security changes could limit access to benefits for millions

Stephanie Sy:

This latest move by the Trump administration will require new and existing recipients to either verify themselves online or have their I.D.s verified in person, even while more than 40 field offices are slated to be shut down by the Department of Government Efficiency.

The changes are aimed at addressing the potential for fraudulent claims and improper payments, which amounted to $72 billion between 2015 to 2022. That’s less than 1 percent of all the benefits disbursed during that time period.

Advocates are raising concerns about the burden this could place on an already vulnerable population.

For more on what this means going forward, I’m joined by Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Kathleen, thank you so much for joining the “News Hour.”

So, it seems the biggest change here is getting rid of the option to verify one’s identity by phone. Who will that impact the most?

Kathleen Romig, Director of Social Security and Disability Policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: It’s going to impact anyone who struggles with the online verification system that SSA has.

So that could include people who are just not comfortable using online services, which often does include older people and people with disabilities, which are the main populations that the Social Security Administration serves.

It also means people who are not allowed to open a My Social Security account, so, for example, children. Their families will have to visit a Social Security office in person to authenticate their identities and to do business with the agency.

It also affects people who perhaps don’t have a driver’s license or don’t have a smartphone in order to use those online authentication tools.