Social Security Administration delays and curtails new anti-fraud policy
CNN
The Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that it is pushing back the rollout of a controversial anti-fraud measure by two weeks and reducing the number of applicants it will effect.
The Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that it is pushing back the rollout of a controversial anti-fraud measure by two weeks and reducing the number of applicants it will effect. It’s the latest backtrack at the agency, which is in turmoil amid a massive reorganization spurred by the Department of Government Efficiency, and comes as the Elon Musk-led initiative is hunting for fraud at Social Security. More than 73 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. The planned policy, which was set to take effect Monday, would have required all those filing benefit applications who cannot verify their identities through their online “my Social Security” account to visit a field office to complete the claim in person.Currently, they can also apply over the phone. But now the new identity verification policy will only apply to those filing for retirement, survivors or family benefits and will take effect on April 14. People applying for disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income and Medicare will continue to have the option of filing their claims over the phone. Also, the agency will not require filers in “extreme dire-need situations,” such as terminal illnesses, to adhere to the new policy and will instead develop an alternate process for them, it said.
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