[[link removed]]

‘ORGANIZING AND MOBILIZING WORKS’: TEAM TRUMP REVERSES SOCIAL
SECURITY PHONE CUTS AFTER UPROAR  
[[link removed]]


 

Jessica Corbett
April 9, 2025
The Guardian
[[link removed]]

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

_ "We sounded the alarm, and they're backing off," said Sen.
Elizabeth Warren. "But the fight's not over." _

Protesters outside Yonkers, New York Social Security Office in
opposition to Trump Administration cuts., Seth Harrison/The Journal
News

 

Social Security advocates celebrated a hard-fought win on Wednesday
while still stressing that the Trump administration poses a dire
threat to millions of Americans' earned benefits.

The Social Security Administration on Tuesday seemingly walked back
plans to require beneficiaries to verify their identities using an
online system and force those who couldn't do so to provide
documentation at an SSA field office—some of which may soon
be targeted
[[link removed]] for
closure.

"Beginning on April 14, Social Security will perform an anti-fraud
check on all claims filed over the telephone and flag claims that have
fraud risk indicators," the agency wrote
[[link removed]] Tuesday on
X, the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk
[[link removed]], head of President Donald
Trump's Department of Government Efficiency
[[link removed]] (DOGE
[[link removed]]).

"Individuals that are flagged would be required to perform in-person
ID proofing for the claim to be further processed. Individuals who are
not flagged will be able to complete their claim without any in-person
requirements," the SSA explained
[[link removed]]. "We will
continue to conduct 100% ID proofing for all in-person claims. 4.5
million telephone claims a year and 70K may be flagged. Telephone
remains a viable option to the public."

The Trump administration was previously accused of trying to "sabotage
[[link removed]]"
SSA by cutting phone services and forcing people who could not verify
their identity online through "my Social Security" to do so in-person.
That policy was initially set to take effect at the end of March, a
rapid rollout reportedly pursued
[[link removed]] at
the request of the White House.

Then, late last month, SSA delayed
[[link removed]] the start date
until April 14, and said that people applying for Medicare, Social
Security Disability Insurance, or Supplemental Security Income would
be exempt from the rule and could complete their claims by phone.

Reporting on the policy's apparent full rollback on
Wednesday, _Axios_shared
[[link removed]] an email
from a White House official who said that "because the anti-fraud team
implemented new technological capabilities so quickly, SSA can now
perform anti-fraud check on all claims filed over the phone."

Those who are flagged "would be required to perform in-person ID
proofing for the claim to be further processed," the official told the
outlet, echoing the X posts. "The administration remains committed to
protecting our beneficiaries from fraud. There will no disruptions to
service."

Welcoming the development on X, Sen. Elizabeth Warren
[[link removed]] (D-Mass.) said
[[link removed]]: "We sounded the
alarm, and they're backing off. But the fight's not over. Trump and
Musk still want to fire thousands of Social Security workers, close
offices, and cut services. We'll keep fighting back."

Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired
Americans, similarly said
[[link removed]] in
a statement: "Organizing and mobilizing works. From the moment DOGE
[[link removed]] announced its dangerous plan
to eliminate SSA telephone services, our members sprang into
action—making thousands of calls to elected officials, organizing
rallies and demonstrations, and demanding the protection of the
services they have earned and paid for."

"We are grateful that our voices were heard. As of today, most
Americans will still be able to apply for their earned retirement,
survivor, or disability benefits through the method that works best
for them—whether by phone, in person, or online," Fiesta continued.
"Forcing millions of seniors and people with disabilities to rely
solely on an understaffed network of closing field offices or an
online-only system would have placed an unreasonable burden on
vulnerable people and done little to curb fraudulent claims."

Like Warren, he vowed that "we will continue to fight to ensure that
SSA is fully staffed and that local field offices remain open and
accessible to the public."

Social Security Works
[[link removed]] also
celebrated the news, writing on X: "After a massive public outcry,
Elon Musk's DOGE [[link removed]] is backing
away from cuts to Social Security phone service that would have forced
millions of Americans into overcrowded field offices. Your voice
matters!"

"But DOGE is still making other huge cuts to the Social Security
Administration," the advocacy group added. "These cuts are already
making it far harder for Americans to claim their earned benefits. We
need to stay loud! Plan or join
[[link removed]] a
rally on April 15th."

_Jessica Corbett is a senior editor and staff writer for Common
Dreams._

* Social Security Cuts
[[link removed]]
* Protest
[[link removed]]
* victory
[[link removed]]

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

 

 

 

INTERPRET THE WORLD AND CHANGE IT

 

 

Submit via web
[[link removed]]

Submit via email
Frequently asked questions
[[link removed]]
Manage subscription
[[link removed]]
Visit xxxxxx.org
[[link removed]]

Twitter [[link removed]]

Facebook [[link removed]]

 




[link removed]

To unsubscribe, click the following link:
[link removed]