Summary
The Social Security Administration (SSA) will require in-person identity verification for new applicants and recipients changing direct deposit, ending phone-based verification.
The move comes as the agency plans to close 47 offices and lay off thousands of workers. Critics warn it will burden seniors, disabled individuals, and rural residents.
Democrats accuse Trump and Musk of undermining Social Security to push privatization.
Unions have sued to block DOGE from accessing sensitive Social Security data.
My daughter qualified for social security due to her low birth weight. The maximum weight for that is 2 pounds, 10 ounces (1.2kg). She was born at less than half that. Does that mean we’d have to bring her over while she was in NICU for 4 months and on a ventilator? For $30/month of benefits?
My hope is that you could still register using the online portal but… these people really don’t give a shit if their decrees are cruel and cause pain. Elon Musk considers empathy to be a fundamental human flaw and this shit will never personally affect him.
No, the headline and summary above are leaving out the fact that you can still access the SSA through their website. This is just removing the telephone option, and if you can’t use the website then the only other option is to go to an office. I’m assuming that since you are on Lemmy, you have internet access.
They should be required to provide free government ID and mandatory voter registration for everyone they identify.
Papers, please.
Can we throw them (the Nazis) out of a blimp? “No papers”
I believe the term is “airship” (blimps have no frame/internal structure). Can we toss the Nazis out of them instead?
Anything over a few stories up will do nicely!
You’ve got the right spirit.
If we’re talking nazi throwing then I believe it’s most appropriate to do so from a dirigable.
In person, where? How many offices will be left to visit? How can a person who needs social security afford to travel hours away for what could be days of waiting for an appointment, only to find out you need additional paperwork or something?
Wow, imposing all that extra load and firing workers sure is going to make life harder for seniors.
This guy needs a mario sequel
I live for the universe where luigi is set free, then does it again
He’s done enough and should be allowed to appreciate a quiet life. We don’t need a Saint Luigi, we need to realize that we have the power.
Guys gonna be watched 24/7 for the rest of his life when he’s free
Peak efficiency.
Beginning March 31st, people will no longer be able to verify their identity to the SSA over the phone and those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency’s “my Social Security” online service, will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process, agency leadership told reporters Tuesday.
The headline and the summary are omitting this very important part: ‘those who cannot use their online service’. The change from the trump administration is complete bullshit, but the article isn’t doing any favors by making it sound like an in-person visit is the only way to interact with SSA.
What we need to do is create community groups that are able to pick up this slack. Check in on people on Social Security, bring computers and mobile hotspots to people’s homes to help them. Credit Unions should offer this service when someone on Social Security opens a new account and will need to have their checks coming to a new account. If someone does need to go to a Social Security office then people in the community should make sure they have a ride. People could even setup shop outside of a Social Security office to help people who may not actually need be at the Social Security office, which will help to ease the strain on the SSA, opening up spots for people who actually need to be there.
It is bullshit, but we can’t rely on the government any more and we need to build community systems to help those that trump is letting down.
It’s called incrementalism
It’s still possible on paper to get benefits, but now all the tech illiterate disabled people have no way to obtain SS without assistance. There are now qualified people who will be prevented from obtaining this servic that is promised to them.
Next they will try a change that effectively kicks another qualified group off assistance. But idiots will still flock to comments to shit out the “It still possible” argument.
Maybe don’t make shitty excuses for fascists?
Also community will never replace tax dollars unless you feel like donating 15-25% of your income to your HOA
Who’s making excuses? I believe I made it abundantly clear that these changes are bullshit. But it is also shitty journalism to heavily imply that everyone on Social Security is going to have to start going to a SSA office in person, when that is not the case.
And yes, community won’t be able to replace this system… but maybe we should still try, because like it or not, the fascists are currently in control and we need to do something to cover the gap between when things start getting bad (now) to when things are really bad (later) to when things are hopefully getting better (much later). But assholes will still flock to the comments to fight amongst themselves screaming that the lack of a perfect solution means we shouldn’t do anything.
