Social Security Reverses Course on Identity Requirement

The measure was opposed by critics who said it poses challenges to older Americans and people living far from an office.

A woman wearing a protective face mask walks past a Social Security Administration during the CCP virus pandemic in Flushing, New York on Feb. 10, 2021. Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times

The Social Security Administration (SSA) said Wednesday that it will not implement a policy that would have required many Americans to visit offices to verify their identities.

Last week, the SSA announced stronger identity proofing measures in a bid to combat fraud, with the policies set to come into effect beginning March 31. One of the policies required beneficiaries who do not have an online “My Social Security account” to visit local Social Security offices for identity verification. However, the agency has now decided not to implement this measure for certain applicants.