New Social Security Rule Means More Travel for Older Adults

Takeaways

• A new Social Security Administration (SSA) rule requires individuals to verify their identity online or in person at an SSA office for direct deposit changes, restricting phone services previously available.
• These changes disproportionately burden vulnerable populations, including older adults, those without internet access, and people with disabilities, by forcing them to travel long distances to understaffed SSA offices.
• Advocates have been challenging these and other restrictions, arguing that they limit access to earned benefits and erode the safety net for seniors and disabled claimants.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has sounded the alarm about a shift in Social Security service delivery that could profoundly affect older adults and individuals with disabilities.

The Trump administration, working with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has introduced new restrictions regarding which services the Social Security Administration (SSA) can offer over the phone. These restrictions will force people who need to change their direct deposit information to prove their identity online through a multistep, multifactor verification process that will provide them with a one-time PIN code. If they are unable to do this, then they will have to go to an SSA office to prove their identity.

In recent months, the SSA has reduced its employee headcount, including in the field offices to which those receiving Social Security benefits will have to travel if they can’t prove their identity online.

What’s Changed and Why

Starting April 14, 2025, the SSA was set to stop allowing new retirement or survivor benefit applications and direct deposit changes over the phone unless the caller was able to digitally verify their identity through the SSA’s online my Social Security portal. Those who couldn’t do this online were going to have to verify their identity in person at a field office.

Days before this change took effect, the SSA updated its stance, allowing most Social Security benefits applicants to apply by phone. However, recipients are no longer allowed to make direct deposit changes solely by phone. They must verify their identity online or in person.

The SSA says this step strengthens fraud prevention efforts. As per Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek, prior reliance on knowledge-based phone authentication used widely available public information, making it vulnerable to exploitation.

However, CBPP and advocacy groups counter that requiring people to travel to SSA field offices for this reason erects a dangerous barrier for vulnerable populations, including rural residents, homebound individuals, people without internet access, and people with vision, hearing, or mobility impairments.

The Burden on Older Adults

The SSA estimates that the recent changes will cause nearly 2 million extra trips each year to Social Security field offices across the country. Half of all seniors live more than a half-hour from the closest SSA field office, assuming no traffic. For those who live in rural areas, travel times could be even greater. In 10 states, at least 40 percent of seniors will need to drive for an hour or more to reach their local SSA office.

According to CBPP estimates, over 6 million senior Americans don’t drive and nearly 8 million seniors have a medical condition or disability that makes it difficult for them to travel outside their homes. Having to rely on public transportation could make travel times even longer.

Results of the Changes

With understaffed SSA field offices and increased wait times — which now average more than two hours — harder-to-get appointments may become the norm.

 The extra travel time required to go between their homes and SSA offices will cause Americans who rely on Social Security benefits to waste over a million hours each year, according to the CBPP. Advocacy groups warn that disconnecting phone service — long a lifeline for millions of Americans — could lead to missed benefits, delays, and safety net erosion for seniors and disabled claimants.

What’s Next?

Advocates for Social Security recipients are pushing back against the changes. CBPP has publicly warned of long, unnecessary travel burdens for seniors, while groups like the Alliance for Retired Americans argue that restricting phone service limits access to the benefits Americans have earned.

Congressional Democrats and disability rights groups have launched legal challenges that include asking courts to block further phone service restrictions and strongly urging the Trump administration to safeguard the SSA’s phone services.

What You Can Do and Additional Resources

You can contact your representative and senators to let them know you want to protect the SSA’s services and your access to them.

For additional reading about Social Security, check out the following articles:

• Report: Majority of Americans Support Social Security
• Could the Trump Admin Privatize Social Security?
• Are Social Security Benefits Taxed?
• 10 Ways to Maximize Your Social Security Retirement Benefits
• Can I Collect Social Security and Still Work?