The Social Security Administration has done an about-face on its recent attempt to limit phone service.
The SSA on Monday began allowing individuals to complete all claim types via telephone, "supported by new anti-fraud capabilities designed to protect beneficiaries and streamline the customer experience."
SSA is using "enhanced technology" to enable SSA to identify suspicious activity in telephone claims by analyzing patterns and anomalies within a person’s account, it said Saturday in an announcement of the change.
"If irregularities are detected, the individual will be asked to complete in-person identity proofing to continue processing their claim," the agency said in its statement. "These advancements allow SSA to maintain the security of its services while continuing to expand access for customers who may be unable to file online or visit an office in person. The agency will continue to conduct identity verification for all in-person claims."
“We are modernizing how we serve the public — enhancing both security and accessibility,” said Leland Dudek, acting commissioner of Social Security.
A 'Suspect' Announcement
"Truthfully, none of this was ever necessary, because fraud represents just 0.00625 percent of all of Social Security’s expenditures, a far lower percentage than found in private sector insurance," Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, said Monday in a statement shared with ThinkAdvisor. "Social Security would be in much better shape, and less vulnerable to fraud, if Musk and DOGE had simply left it alone."
SSA’s weekend announcement "that the agency will implement 'new' fraud prevention measures on its 1-800 phone line seems suspect," added Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, in another statement.
"In March, SSA announced that people would no longer be able to claim benefits via telephone because of 'fraud' risk, even though the fraud rate on the SSA phone line has been less than .001% of all calls. After intense public blowback, SSA reversed itself and said that claimants once again could file for benefits via telephone" beginning Monday, Richtman continued.
"To be clear, there already were fraud prevention measures in place for claims on the 1-800 phone line before the Trump administration took over," Richtman added. "SSA agents had been trained to validate callers’ identity using effective, time-tested protocols."
The latest announcement "is a continuation of the circus that Trump, Musk, and DOGE have created at SSA — causing alarm and confusion for many of the 73 million Americans who depend on Social Security," Altman added. "The Trump administration seemingly will do anything to keep alive the specter of non-existent 'massive fraud' at the Social Security Administration."
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