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The Trump administration is further backing off the in-person requirements it announced for Americans seeking services at the Social Security Administration that were set to go into effect Monday. Liz Huston, a spokesperson for the White House, said in a statement to NPR on Thursday that telephone services will continue for people seeking services through the agency.
"President Trump has repeatedly promised to protect Social Security and uproot waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government," she said. "The Social Security anti-fraud team has worked around the clock in person to improve technological capabilities and they are now able to identify fraud on claims filed over the telephone."
Social Security officials first announced last month that people filing claims or seeking benefits would have to travel in-person to a local field office, if they were unable to use the agency's online verification system. The policy would have effectively eliminated widely used telephone services for many beneficiaries.
These changes were met with concerns from advocates for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as lawmakers. Dozens of Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to agency leaders asking them to reconsider the change because it would "create additional barriers" for people seeking services — "particularly for those who live far from an office."
According to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak generally about the Trump administration's position, the Social Security Administration reversed course on these requirements because the anti-fraud team "implemented new technological capabilities so quickly" that the agency can now "perform anti-fraud checks on all claims filed over the phone." These technological improvements, the official said in a statement, will be able to flag abnormal behavior in a person's account and then those individuals who were flagged would be required to travel in-person for verification.
The Social Security Administration is currently undergoing massive changes – including widespread layoffs, regional office closures and general restructuring of duties across the agency. These changes have worried advocates about access to services that many of the country's seniors rely on.
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Comments
Sorry but that sentence really had me laughing.
Does anyone really believe that some guys could just walk into an immense program such as Social Security, which like many government operations is still using computing technology charitably described as "obsolete", using programing languages that no one speaks anymore, and by "working around the clock, in person" (how else does anyone work?) "implement new technological capabilities so quickly" ??
I'd be interested to see exactly how all of these wonderful new technologies were so quickly integrated into the decades-old SS systems. Maybe they used Elmer's glue??
@Anna- me too, but the sad part is that so many Americans are going to believe all of the BS after the predictable applause by Fox "News" .
Yes, I realized the language being used. Hope I did not offend you. If so, please accept my apology.
I like old computer languages that advance the space program for so many years. They just simply work. Today Ai is being deployed in many applications I used today and they are not necessary making my work easier. I prefer my version, Ri, that stands for real intelligence or simply years of training and experience.