Argentum sent a letter this week to Acting Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Leland Dudek about recent changes that could impact the ability of seniors residing in senior living communities to receive their Social Security benefits.
Starting next Monday, April 14, the SSA will implement updated identity verification procedures intended to enhance security and combat fraud. The SSA will require individuals to prove their identity if applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or changing direct deposit information for existing benefits.
Individuals are encouraged to use the online portal my Social Security to complete this process, or may complete their claim entirely over the telephone without the need to come into an office. Individuals who are unable to use their online account to change direct deposit information will need to visit a Social Security office to process the change.
The identity verification changes apply only to new applicants for Social Security retirement benefits or individuals making changes to their account, including changes to direct deposit. The new policy does not affect those who are already receiving benefits and are not making changes to their account, and the agency will not enforce these requirements in extreme dire-need situations, such as terminal cases. SSA is currently developing a process that will require documentation and management approval to bypass the policy in such dire need cases.
In response to the changes, Argentum sent a letter noting that many older Americans who reside in senior living communities are non-ambulatory and many have high levels of functional impairment that can make traveling outside of their community challenging. We expressed concerns that some of the recent changes, specifically relating to identity verification procedures, could impede access to benefits for seniors who are unable to use the online my Social Security account to make changes, and making an appointment and traveling to a Social Security office may be difficult due to physical mobility issues.
We called on SSA to temporarily pause new requirements wherever possible and ask for stakeholder feedback before moving forward with changes that could impact access to benefits, and in turn, financial resources necessary for their care.
In addition to Argentum, Senator Rick Scott, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Senator Ron Johnson, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to Acting Commissioner Dudek asking for detailed information on the amount of fraudulent or wasteful spending by the SSA, pointing to a February 20, 2025, SSA OIG report that founds that between 2020 and 2023, SSA improperly paid out more than $32 billion in benefit overpayments. It specifically asks for information on actions to ensure tax dollars are protected and Social Security benefits are preserved.
Separately, President Trump signed an executive order last month mandating that the federal government stop sending paper checks for any payments, including Social Security benefits by September 30, 2025. This will affect nearly 500,000 Americans who currently receive paper checks across all government payments; anyone who currently receives a paper check will need to set up direct deposit before September. Additionally, SSA will now withhold 100% of a person's monthly benefit to recover overpayments, up from 10% of monthly benefits until the overpayment was recovered.
