Social Security ending most phone service for those applying for benefits or changing banks, sparking advocates' worries

The Social Security Administration is ending most phone service for those applying for benefits or changing banking information, requiring residents instead to go online or in person to  an office — a move the agency said is designed to combat fraud.

People can start a benefits claim over the phone but will have to go to a field office to verify their identity and complete the claim, the agency said on Tuesday.

The move, effective at the end of the month, was criticized by national and local advocates. They said it could potentially put up barriers for seniors and people with disabilities who may not have access to or feel comfortable with computers or smartphone technology. 

"The Social Security Administration's move to force people to visit offices in-person for services that they have sought by phone will result in more headaches and longer wait times to resolve routine customer service needs," Nancy LeaMond, AARP's executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer, said in a statement.

"Requiring rural Americans to go into an office can mean taking a day off from work and drive for hours merely to fill out paperwork," LeaMond said, adding that "any delay in Social Security caused by this change can mean real economic hardship."

In announcing the policy change, the agency said in a news release: "Over the next two weeks, SSA will carefully transition to stronger identity proofing procedures for both benefit claims and direct deposit changes. 

"Individuals seeking these services who cannot use their personal 'my Social Security' account, which requires online identity proofing, will then need to visit a Social Security office to prove their identity in person," the release said, adding that Social Security will process direct deposit change requests, in person and online, in one business day. Under the old policy, those changes took 30 days.

The agency said individuals can either visit an office or call 800-772-1213 to schedule an in-person appointment.

Transportation barriers were also highlighted by Robyn Berger-Gaston, division director of the Huntington-based nonprofit Family Service League.

"Suffolk County is very widespread and transportation for a lot of the people that we work with is very difficult. So getting to a Social Security office might not be an option," she said.

A case in point was the 97-year-old mother of Laura Leitner, 72, of East Northport. Leitner had an appointment on behalf of her mother, who she said had recently fallen, at the Social Security Administration office in Melville Wednesday morning, to help her mother obtain the Social Security benefits of her late husband. 

Standing outside the office, Leitner called the agency's new policy "outrageous." 

"Disabled, elderly people don't have transportation," she said. "The phone line was critical for them. Even though it takes two hours to reach someone, it's still a critical aspect for people that need to speak to somebody at Social Security."

Those long waits over the phone were a source of frustration for Charlie Nitti, 63, of Deer Park, a military veteran. He said dealing with Social Security over the phone was a "horror show," with waits of usually two hours, while an in-person visit would go faster.

"You're in and out of there," he said.

Nitti said he had come to the Melville office Wednesday, but was frustrated after being turned away since he didn't have an appointment. He said he was told to call to make one. 

"It’s impossible to call on the phone and get something done," he said. 

Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, an umbrella advocacy agency based in Huntington Station for some 200 nonprofit human service agencies, said Social Security's new policy would "likely exacerbate" a "digital divide," referring to people who cannot easily access the internet.

"I think many ... will be compelled to visit the Social Security office, yet that ability remains unclear and uncertain because we do know the administration has talked about closing Social Security Administration offices," Baird-Streeter said.

A Feb. 28 Social Security announcement noted plans to "implement agencywide organizational restructuring that will include significant workforce reductions."