Trump Puts New Restrictions On Social Security: What To Do In NY

NEW YORK— New changes announced Tuesday by the Trump administration will require people in New York who want to file for Social Security benefits or change their bank account information to do so in person at a field office. The elimination of the phone service will begin March 31.

The changes, intended to reduce fraud, potentially affect about 72.5 million Americans, including retirees and children, who receive retirement and disability benefits through the Social Security Administration.

SSA acting commissioner Leland Dudek told reporters Tuesday that the agency is losing more than $100 million a year in direct-deposit fraud.

“Social Security can better protect Americans while expediting service,” Dudek said, explaining a problem with eliminating fraudulent claims is that “the information that we use through knowledge-based authentication is already in the public domain.”

“This is a common sense measure,” he said.

Here’s what New York residents need to know:

Who Is Affected?

Beginning March 31, people will no longer be able to verify their identity to the SSA over the phone, and those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency's “my Social Security” online service, will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process.

The change will apply to new Social Security applicants and existing recipients who want to change their direct deposit information.

Does It Limit Access in New York?

Retiree advocates warn that the change will negatively impact older Americans in rural areas, including those with disabilities, mobility limitations, and those who live far from SSA offices and have limited internet access.

The plan also comes as the agency plans to shutter dozens of Social Security offices throughout the country and has already laid out plans to lay off up to 50 percent of its workforce.

Kiplinger lists the 47 SSA offices targeted for closure, many of them in the South and Southeast. Offices have been listed for closure in New York in White Plains, Horseheads, and Poughkeepsie.

The office closings are part of a broader initiative to consolidate government real estate and reduce operational costs under the Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk.

In the call with reporters Tuesday, Dudek downplayed the impact of its offices shuttering, saying many were small remote hearing sites that served few members of the public.

Here is where you can locate Social Security offices in New York.

Processing Will Be Expedited

In addition to the identity verification change, the agency announced that it plans to expedite processing of recipients’ direct deposit change requests – both in person and online — to one business day.

Previously, online direct deposit changes were held for 30 days.

What Do Others Say?

Social Security is one of the nation’s largest and most popular social programs. A January poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that two-thirds of U.S. adults think the country is spending too little on Social Security.

Connecticut Rep. John Larson, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, said in a statement that “by requiring seniors and disabled Americans to enroll online or in person at the same field offices they are trying to close, rather than over the phone, Trump and Musk are trying to create chaos and inefficiencies at SSA so they can privatize the system.”

The program faces a looming bankruptcy date if it is not addressed by Congress. The May 2024 Social Security and Medicare trustees’ report states that Social Security’s trust funds — which cover old age and disability recipients — will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035. Then, Social Security would only be able to pay 83 percent of benefits.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.