PBS NEWSHOUR VIDEO: Trump administration's Social Security changes could limit access to benefits for millions 19MAR25

 HERE is another video explaining how NOT MY pres musk, NOT MY pres drumpf / trump and the fascist, authoritarian drumpf / trump-vance administration and the gop / greed over people-republican party want to destroy Social Security, per the project 2025 guide. PLEASE e mail your representative and senators and demand they protect Social Security, SNAP, Medicare and Medicaid from any cuts and they do not raise the retirement age. The American social contract must be fully funded and maintained. From the PBS NewsHour.....

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

19MAR25

Significant changes will be coming for Social Security recipients. Millions will no longer be able to verify their identity over the phone, creating a challenge for older Americans and those with disabilities. Advocates are raising concerns about the burden this could place on an already vulnerable population. Stephanie Sy discussed more with Kathleen Romig. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.   Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6

TRANSCRIPT

0:00

AMNA NAWAZ: Significant changes will be coming for  Social Security recipients starting on March 31.

0:06

Millions of Americans will no longer be  able to verify their identity over the  

0:10

phone, creating a challenge for older  Americans and those with disabilities.

0:15

Stephanie Sy joins us now with more.

0:18

STEPHANIE SY: This latest move by the Trump  administration will require new and existing  

0:23

recipients to either verify themselves online or  have their I.D.s verified in person, even while  

0:29

more than 40 field offices are slated to be shut  down by the Department of Government Efficiency.

0:36

The changes are aimed at addressing the potential  for fraudulent claims and improper payments,  

0:41

which amounted to $72 billion  between 2015 to 2022. That's less  

0:48

than 1 percent of all the benefits  disbursed during that time period.

0:53

Advocates are raising concerns about the  

0:56

burden this could place on an  already vulnerable population.

1:00

For more on what this means going  forward, I'm joined by Kathleen Romig,  

1:04

director of Social Security and disability policy  for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

1:09

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

1:13

So, it seems the biggest change here is  getting rid of the option to verify one's  

1:17

identity by phone. Who will that impact the most?

1:20

KATHLEEN ROMIG, Director of Social Security and Disability Policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: It's going to impact anyone who struggles  

1:23

with the online verification system that SSA has.

1:27

So that could include people who are just  not comfortable using online services,  

1:32

which often does include older  people and people with disabilities,  

1:36

which are the main populations that the  Social Security Administration serves.

1:41

It also means people who are not allowed  to open a My Social Security account, so,  

1:47

for example, children. Their families will  have to visit a Social Security office in  

1:52

person to authenticate their identities  and to do business with the agency.

1:57

It also affects people who perhaps  don't have a driver's license or  

2:01

don't have a smartphone in order to  use those online authentication tools.

2:06

STEPHANIE SY: And, of course, it's  not just the elderly. There are  

2:08

72.5 million Americans who receive  these benefits, including children.

2:13

I am curious how one does verify an I.D. by  phone. The implication from the administration  

2:20

here is that that isn't a very secure way of  verifying identification. Does this fix that?

2:27

KATHLEEN ROMIG: The way that typically  identities are authenticated by phone  

2:31

is by asking questions that only the person  with that identity would be able to answer.

2:37

So this is very commonly used by the  private financial industry as well.  

2:43

When you have trouble logging into your bank  account or your mortgage lender's account,  

2:47

then you would typically call and sort out any  problems over the phone and they'd ask you these  

2:53

knowledge-based questions. So that's what SSA  has been doing, and it's pretty common practice.

2:58

It's not perfect, but no  identity-proofing method is perfect.

3:02

STEPHANIE SY: So, at the same time as these  new requirements are set to go into effect,  

3:06

you have reports of DOGE closing field offices,  

3:09

particularly in the South. They're also  letting go of thousands of employees.

3:13

The agency says these offices weren't used  much since online virtual meetings became  

3:19

more popular and should be consolidated  to save costs. What do you say to that?

3:24

KATHLEEN ROMIG: I think that any time  a field office closes to the public,  

3:28

it's going to have an impact on  the people who live in that area.

3:31

There's research that even shows  that people are less likely to get  

3:35

the Social Security disability  benefits that they have earned  

3:39

and that they are eligible for if a  field office in their area closes.

3:44

STEPHANIE SY: We should say that we  did reach out to Trump administration  

3:47

officials to be interviewed on the  topic, and they did pass on that today.

3:51

But they have also announced other  changes in these reforms, including  

3:56

announcing plans to expedite processing,  for example, of direct deposit changes  

4:01

to one business day. It was 30 days. Isn't  that a win for Social Security recipients?

4:08

KATHLEEN ROMIG: Well, if you are able  to authenticate your identity online and  

4:12

make those changes online, then,  sure, faster processing makes sense.

4:17

But the fact is, if you do have to go  into a Social Security field office,  

4:22

as this new policy requires, then it's going  to take you over a month to make that change.  

4:27

And that's because there's already a  two-hour hold time on the phone to get  

4:33

a call back from the Social Security  Administration to make an appointment,  

4:37

and then over a monthlong wait on average  to get an appointment in a field office.

4:42

STEPHANIE SY: Groups like the AARP have  long called on Congress to provide more  

4:46

resources to improving customer  service at this administration,  

4:51

saying processing time for disability claims  have doubled in just the past five years.

4:56

Aren't changes due? And, if so, what  changes do you think should be prioritized?

5:01

KATHLEEN ROMIG: Well, the reason that it's  taking the Social Security Administration longer  

5:06

to process disability claims and too long  to answer the phone and to make appointments  

5:10

with people is because there are already  not enough staff members working at SSA.

5:16

And that's because of years of underfunding.  And so the Trump administration is actually  

5:21

moving to double down on those staff  cuts. They're planning for another  

5:24

7,000 staff cuts at the Social Security  Administration this year. So what that's  

5:29

going to mean is fewer people answering the  phones, fewer people taking appointments,  

5:34

fewer people processing claims, and that's going  to mean longer delays in each one of those areas.

5:40

And it's going to make it harder for applicants  and beneficiaries to access their benefits. And  

5:46

it's not just beneficiaries either, but it's  going to affect people who are trying to access  

5:50

their Social Security statement, people  who need a replacement Social Security  

5:55

card because they're seeking a job or just  got married. These services affect everyone.

6:00

STEPHANIE SY: Kathleen Romig with the  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

6:04

Thank you, Kathleen.

6:06

KATHLEEN ROMIG: Thank you.