The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced new antifraud measures on Tuesday that will require more Americans to verify their identity when filing for benefits or changing direct deposit details.
This may mean more people will need to visit a Social Security field office in person.
Lee Dudek, the Acting Commissioner of Social Security, described the changes as “a commonsense measure you expect in your everyday life.”
The new identity verification process, which includes both online and in-person steps, will be phased in over two weeks, ending on March 31.
While individuals can still begin their benefit claims over the phone, they will need to complete the process in person at a field office.
Many people will still be able to file online if the agency’s identity verification system recognizes them.
Dudek said the changes aim to improve information security and prevent fraud, which could save the agency around $100 million lost to direct deposit fraud.
“We’re going to prove the customer we are serving is who they say they are,” Dudek told reporters. He also noted that adjustments could be made if the new policy creates issues for beneficiaries.
“I will monitor the situation closely and if it impacts beneficiaries, we’ll act accordingly,” he said.
The SSA also announced that it will now process direct deposit change requests within one business day, a significant change from the previous 30-day processing period.
This policy shift comes as the agency plans to reduce staff. In February, the SSA announced plans to lower its workforce from about 57,000 to 50,000 employees.
Additionally, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plans to close several Social Security offices, mostly in remote locations with lower usage.
Dudek stated that the agency is “right-sizing” its workforce to operate under a smaller budget than the one available during the Biden administration. He also confirmed that all employees are now required to work five days a week in the office.
A leaked internal memo from March 13 estimated that the policy change could increase in-person office visits by 75,000 to 85,000 per week.
Critics argue that the changes under the Trump administration will make it harder for Americans to access benefits. Robert Weissman, co-president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, criticized the move.
“Efficiency doesn’t mean cutting spending,” he said. “It means more effective spending. Making it harder for people to obtain benefits or resolve issues is absolutely more inefficient.”
The SSA manages retirement and disability benefits for millions of Americans and paid over $1.5 trillion in benefits in fiscal year 2024.
Around 86% of people aged 65 or older receive Social Security benefits, and this figure rises to 90% for those aged 75 and older.
Trump administration officials have claimed that government programs, including Social Security, face widespread fraud, though many of these claims have been disputed.
Between fiscal years 2015 and 2022, the SSA paid nearly $8.6 trillion in benefits, with approximately $71.8 billion (or 0.84%) classified as improper payments, mainly overpayments.
A February 2025 report showed that overpayments in 2023 totaled $8.8 billion, most of which were due to record-keeping errors rather than criminal fraud. The agency can withhold benefits to recover these overpayments.
Weissman believes that fraud is not the real reason behind the changes. “I think the talk about fraud is a cover for spending cuts that Musk and Trump plan to impose on older Americans who benefit from Social Security,” he said.
“Are they blind to the facts, or are they willfully misrepresenting them? To me, the second scenario is much more likely.”
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