The SSA is implementing stronger identity verification processes as part of proactive measures to improve the security of its services. By updating the procedures, Social Security data and payouts will be even more protected from fraud. For both benefit claims and direct deposit modifications, the SSA will gradually implement more stringent identification verification processes over the next two weeks.
Those who are unable to use their personal Social Security account, which needs online identity verification, in order to obtain these services will have to physically establish their identity at a local Social Security office. All in-person and online requests for changes to direct deposits will be processed by the agency within one business day.
Social Security Updates New Identity Verification Rules
For far too long, the agency has relied on outdated techniques to obtain identification. While accelerating service, Social Security can better protect Americans. Training management and frontline staff on the new policy and closely observing policy compliance are part of the agency’s two-week transition strategy. On March 31, 2025, the end of the transition period, SSA will implement both in-person and online digital identity verification. For those who are unable or unable to use the agency’s online mySocialSecurity services, SSA will allow them to begin their benefit claim over the phone.
$67 Billion? Government Confirms Shortfall for Social Security
Not until the person’s identification has been confirmed in person can the claim be finalised. So that the claim can be started and finished in a single contact, the agency advises phoning to make an in-person appointment. Before initiating a transaction, both those with and without an appointment will be required to provide identification. To modify their direct deposit information, people who are unable or unable to use the agency’s online my Social Security services can submit the change in person at a local office or by calling 1-800-772-1213. This modification guarantees the availability of the most personnel to satisfy the more stringent demand for in-person identification verification.
What are the new Identity Verification Rules?
The SSA will stop allowing identification verification over the phone for some services on April 14. The government claims that the adjustment is intended to improve benefit protection and lower fraud. However, proponents are criticising the ruling, stating that it may make it more difficult for those who need assistance—such as those who are elderly, disabled, or lack simple access to the internet—to acquire it.
Those submitting benefit applications or updating their direct deposit details will be subject to the new regulations. They will now need to visit a local field office in person if they are unable to prove their identity via the SSA’s online “My Social Security” site. Those receiving Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, or Social Security Disability Insurance are exempt from the requirement, though.
Why SSA Changed Identity Verification Rules?
A cost-cutting initiative led by millionaire Elon Musk, the Department of Administration Efficiency, or DOGE, has engineered the reforms at the SSA. Both Musk and President Trump have asserted that Social Security is a fraud hotbed, claiming that people as old as 150 are receiving benefits—a claim that has been refuted as false.
Cuts to the Social Security Administration’s workforce have also been accompanied by online malfunctions and issues, including last week’s incorrect notification to low-income and disabled seniors that their payments had ceased. Among seniors, many of whom depend on their monthly Social Security benefits to cover necessities like food and rent, such issues are causing widespread concern.
Who will be impacted the most by the New Rules?
The policy changes will affect individuals who fall into any of the following categories. If you do so then you need to visit the SSA’s office to complete the procedure.
- Those who don’t have access to the “My Social Security” portal.
- Those who are applying for social security aid without online verification.
- Those who wish to update their direct deposit info but cannot do so virtually.
How to Verify your Identity with Social Security?
Here are the two ways to verify your individuality with Social Security; you can follow any according to your convenience.
Online verification
The My Social Security portal is the most efficient and straightforward method of proving your identity to the SSA. Two credentialing systems, ID.me and Login.gov, are used by the SSA to verify your identity when you create an account. The entire account creation process usually takes ten to fifteen minutes. Bring a legitimate photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, or state-issued ID card, along with your smartphone. Signing up with ID.me or Login.gov will require you to upload photos of your ID and provide your Social Security number. Whereas ID.me will ask you to record a video call or take a selfie, Login.gov will next ask you to take a selfie.
The providers compare the address linked to your SSN with the address on your credentials, and then compare the photo or video image to the photo on your ID. If you forget the password you created earlier in the process, you will receive a recovery code as well as a code to validate your phone number. Except for completing multifactor authentication when you log in, you won’t need to confirm your identity once more once your account has been created.
In-person verification
If you start to apply for the benefits in person at your local Social Security workplace, bring one of the following documents:
- Driver’s license
- Identification card
- Passport card
Photocopies won’t be permitted, so bring the originals instead. The SSA may receive a “secondary” form of identification if you lack any of these primary documents. Examples include a U.S. military ID card, a tribal ID document, a documentation of naturalisation or U.S. citizenship, or a Medicaid or health insurance card. It is temporary to verify your identity at a Social Security office.
In order to change your direct deposit information, which is no longer possible over the phone, or for any other service that requires an identity verification, you will need to bring the same documents back to the office. The majority of in-person services need an appointment to be planned over the phone.
| Official Website | Click Here |
| Homepage | CMDKerala.Net |
