An internal memo detailing the Social Security Administration’s proposal to revamp its phone service has surfaced, raising concerns that the changes could negatively impact retired and disabled Americans navigating the benefits application process.
According to Axios, which reported on the memo Monday, the Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that its plans only target fraud and waste within the Social Security system. However, the proposed changes, spearheaded by DOGE representatives, could have devastating consequences for an already overburdened system “plagued by delays and facing staffing cuts.”
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“It is a big deal,” Kathleen Romig, a former Social Security official, told Axios. Romig, who now serves as director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, warned that the changes “create a real Catch-22.”
The memo, dated Thursday and signed by acting deputy Social Security commissioner for operations Doris Diaz, “proposes changes that will further limit what people can do by phone,” Axios reported. Under the new proposal, phone services would still be available for general inquiries, but identity verification—currently permitted by phone for those unable to use the agency’s online system—would be significantly restricted.
The memo acknowledges that the proposed limitations could have a “significant” impact, particularly for Americans living in rural areas with limited access to Social Security offices. A former Social Security Administration official, speaking anonymously to Axios due to their job search, warned that the proposed changes would “cripple field office operations, and they’re already badly paralyzed.”
“Benefits are adjusted regularly as people’s incomes change,” the former official explained. “Forcing all those folks to come into a field office ‘would, in essence, break the agency.’ DOGE representatives are well aware of these risks.” It remains unclear whether acting commissioner Leland Dudek has accepted or implemented any of the proposed recommendations, Axios noted.
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Critics argue that the changes could disproportionately impact the most vulnerable populations. Jen Burdick, an attorney who provides free legal services for Americans seeking Social Security disability benefits, told Axios that the proposed restrictions are just “a way they’re trying to use red tape to literally block people from getting benefits.”
As concerns grow, advocacy groups and policymakers are expected to push back against the changes, fearing they could worsen access to essential Social Security services.
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