Two prominent interest groups representing some retired Americans called on the Social Security Administration (SSA) to reverse a recent decision that requires some customer service requests to be handled in person rather than remotely.
Earlier this week, acting Social Security Administrator Lee Dudek announced that some recipients who are unable to provide their identity via Social Security’s website will have to do it in person at one of the agency’s offices. The move was done in a bid to combat “fraudulent activity” and to provide “stronger identity proofing procedures,” and starting March 31, that policy will go into effect.
In response, AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, said in a statement that the move would be onerous for some retired people receiving Social Security payments, namely for rural residents who would have to travel long distances to go to an office in person....
