Elderly Access

SSA Shifts to X: Elderly Users Face Social Media Maze

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is restructuring, reassigning 700 employees from headquarters and regional offices to field offices to avoid layoffs. This restructuring will drastically reduce regional office staff and centralize communications, relying primarily on X (formerly Twitter) for public updates instead of press releases. Simultaneously, SSA reversed prior plans to limit phone support for beneficiaries, opting instead to implement a new anti-fraud algorithm for telephone claims. These changes aim to improve efficiency and address public service needs, but concerns remain regarding potential disruptions and the impact on expertise.

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Trump’s Social Security Sabotage: A Plan to Cripple Seniors

To enhance security, online identity verification will now be mandatory for phone-based Social Security benefit applications. Individuals lacking internet access must visit a field office for in-person verification. While current phone-based applications require extensive personal information checks to minimize fraud, this change necessitates in-person visits for those without internet capabilities. This may pose a challenge for elderly or disabled applicants who previously relied on the existing phone system.

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