Social Security officials are partially walking to personal verification plans: NPR

The Social Security Administration reviews the proposed changes that required some beneficiaries to prove their personal identity when searching for services.

The officials said in a statement On Wednesday, they exempt people who apply for medical care and disability allocations, as well as assisting additional income for the poor, from having to prove that their identity is personal in the Social Security Office if they cannot use the agency system online.

They also announced that they were retreating from the beginning of the new policy for two weeks, until April 14.

The new rules that were first Declare Last week, fears were met with defenders of the elderly and persons with disabilities, as well as legislators. Dozens of members of the Democrats Send a message To the leaders of the agencies last week, they ask them to reconsider the change because it “will create additional barriers” for people looking for services – “especially for those who live away from the office.”

“We have heard our customers, Congress, preachers, and others, and we are updating our policy to provide better customer service for the country’s most vulnerable population in the country,” said Li Dodik, Acting Social Security Commissioner, in a statement on Wednesday.

For decades now, prosecutors have been able to complete their entire benefit request over the phone.

But last week, social security officials announced that people who cannot prove their identity using the online agency system will be asked to appear personally when requesting advantages or changing direct deposit information.

Dudik, who was exploited to President Trump, said that changing policy was an attempt to implement the administration’s goal of protecting interest with waste and alleged fraud.

“For a very long time, the agency used old methods to prove identity,” Dudik said in a statement. “Social Security can better protect Americans with an acceleration of service.”

But defenders and others have warned that the changes were in the service of inflicting and unnecessary fraud claims.

“The new policy is supposed to prevent” fraud “, without any evidence that the calls of the phone have been paid fraudulent,” said Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee for the Preservation of Social Security and Medical Care. statement Last week. “The new process will force the elderly and persons with disabilities to move into an unnecessary technical obstacle to apply for their acquired advantages.”

According to the agency, these new ID requirements will only be applied to people who seek to obtain pension benefits, survivors or assistant.

As of last month, more than 50 million Americans receive Retirement benefits from SSA and Thousands The Americans are newly qualified to get advantages every day.