Social Security officials partially walk back plans for in-person verification

[highplainsdem]

Source: NPR

The Social Security Administration is revising proposed changes that would have required some beneficiaries to prove their identity in-person when seeking services.

Officials said in a statement Wednesday that they are exempting people who apply for Medicare and disability benefits, as well as supplemental income help for the poor, from having to prove their identity in-person at a social security office if they are unable to use the agency's online system.

They also announced they are pushing back the start of the new policy by two weeks, to April 14.

-snip-

"We have listened to our customers, Congress, advocates, and others, and we are updating our policy to provide better customer service to the country's most vulnerable populations," Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of Social Security, said in the Wednesday statement.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/26/nx-s1-5341780/social-security-administration-identity-requirements

[flamingdem]

1. Pressure, phone calls, demonstrations work

We can't let up!!

[Harker]

2. If they'd really listened, they would have left SS alone. n/t

[CousinIT]

3. THIS. nt

[Nictuku]

4. And yet, they just keep fucking LYING!

I swear I am living in an alternative universe, I took a wrong turn somewhere back there. This is so surreal.

The government says they are providing better customer service as they shut down the phone service and shut down offices.

The World is Upside Down

[cbabe]

5. "We listened to our customers, ..."

We aren’t customers. It’s not a business. We are citizens and it’s our money.

[SheltieLover]

6. This!!! 👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆

[Karasu]

11. The use of that word stood out immediately to me. Couldn't be more obvious how Musk is influencing this.

The complete privatization/corporatization of government services is obviously the plan. They aren't even being subtle about it.

No one can fucking afford anything and every damn thing anyone does just serves as an excuse to continue jacking up prices, but they still want to privatize everything--while at the same time not advocating for a living UBI. Talk about a recipe for disaster.

[multigraincracker]

7. Ouch, someone touched that third rail.

[yellow dahlia]

8. Good to know the push back works...to a degree.

[wolfie001]

9. Just like the tariffs

This week "No", next week "Yes", the week after that "Maybe".....rinse and repeat. "We'll see".......Dumbfucks

[slightlv]

10. Okay... now I'm really confused! grrrr

I have a news piece on my Samsung phone (Samsung news?) which states EVERYONE has to go in and identify themselves to the SS office. Doesn't make any difference if you're a long time recipient or newly applying. Now, this one says, oops... never mind if you're applying for Medicare, disability, or SSI?

I'm left wondering what the frack to do. Phone rings off the hook at the office; no help there. Can't call for an appointment. Don't want to drive over an hour each way... that would kill my back (and my nerves - driving in the big city traffic)... for a "closed office" that didn't leave a forwarding message on their phone line. And the next closest office is over 2 hours away from me. But if I don't show by the first of April, am I still going to get my Retirement Annuity on the 1st (from the DoD) and my SS on the 13th?

I've got this month, April, and part of May to try to scrounge together over 2000 to pay taxes, car insurance, and house insurance. Thank god that only happens twice a year.... but this is NOT the time to be worrying over whether or not some nineteen year old is going to declare I'm 20 and defrauding, or dead and defrauding. Not even my new meds are helping me through this terror.

[GardenGnome]

12. I'm confused too.

The last thing I understood was that long time recipients of SS did not need to identify themselves. So something has changed? I've been putting off dealing with ID.me until I had no choice.

ETA. I took this off the NPR site posted in the OP. It says:

According to the agency, these new identity requirements will now apply only to people seeking retirement, survivor or auxiliary benefits.

So it still appears to me that if you are already receiving benefits, and if you aren't changing your address, that you should receive your benefits as usual.

Please, somebody correct me if I am mistaken.

[flamingdem]

13. For new retirement benefits I'm hoping it's just the ID.me account

that's needed where you have to upload a drivers license or other picture ID.

[GardenGnome]

14. Here's some info for people living outside the U.S.

This is the info provided by ID.me.

Verifying if you live outside of the U.S. and have an SSN (https://help.id.me/hc/en-us/articles/4415907236375-Verifying-if-you-live-outside-of-the-U-S-and-have-an-SSN)

To verify your identity you will need the following:

Social Security number
Two primary documents (e.g. passport, passport card, National ID card, government-issued ID with your photo) or
One primary and at least one secondary document (e.g. utility bill, pay stub, medical bill, bank statement, W-2 form)

You may also need to provide:

Proof of a non-U.S. address
Legal name change documentation

Verifying with a non-U.S. passport (https://help.id.me/hc/en-us/articles/26952364097559-Verifying-with-a-non-U-S-passport)

What you’ll need:

Your valid (unexpired), non-U.S passport that clearly shows your passport ID number
An approved “address document” that shows the same international address that you will enter during verification. Commonly-used, eligible documents include bank statements, electric bills, valid and unexpired driver’s licenses, pay stubs, etc.