Beginning April 14, 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will no longer process phone applications for retirement, survivor, or family benefits—a policy shift that will compel millions of Americans to find their way through online portals or make long trips to office offices. A new CBPP analysis discovers that about 6 million elderly have round-trip travel distances of 45 miles or more to their closest SSA office, creating added burdens for those with unsteady transportation or limited mobility.
Elimination of phone services and its immediate impact
The SSA’s elimination of phone identity authentication for requesting retirement and survivor benefits is the most revamped rewriting of its business model in a decade. Applicants for disability payments (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicare continue to become eligible by telephone, but all others are subjected to the “My Social Security” online portal or must arrive at an office in person. This change is designed to prevent direct deposit scams that cost the agency more than $100 million per year. Yet 42% of retirees have always used telephone services to start claims—a practice now severed for essential benefits such as survivor benefits, which has no online application option at all.
Geographic disparities in field office access
Personal visits are inconveniently burdensome on rural residents. 65% of Wyoming’s seniors are over 45 miles from a field office, and Alaskans have a mean round-trip distance of 180 miles in most areas. North Dakota’s 13,000 seniors travel over 180 miles to the office for appointments, as opposed to only 3% in more populous states such as California and New York. The location of the SSA office illustrates these disparities, with urban sites preferred. To put this in perspective, the typical senior gets around 23 miles per day—half of what many now need to reach basic goods and services.
Mobility and technology barriers
Some 8 million seniors have disabilities or health issues that restrict travel, and 6 million lack access to a vehicle. Even those living near offices might have barriers: 60% of applicants 65 and older need help with online resources because of limited digital literacy or internet access. The SSA’s online gateway, although streamlined, calls for identification verification via the utilization of third-party databases such as LexisNexis—a barrier to those who have no credit record or government ID. “For many, this policy effectively builds a wall between them and their benefits,” comments CBPP’s Kathleen Romig.
Pushback and policy reforms
AARP and disability rights groups’ fierce pushback led to a partial rescission. Initially scheduled for March 31, the SSA pushed back to April 14 and excluded SSI and disability applicants. Critics contend the changes are unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act because they circumvent public comment periods. “This isn’t modernization—it’s exclusion,” AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins says, pointing out that 22% of seniors don’t have home internet. The SSA responds that field office staff have grown 8% since 2023 to handle projected demand.
Fraud prevention and beneficiary needs
The SSA points out that the instances of identity theft have increased by 300% since 2020, as fraudsters target direct deposit changes more and more. Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek claims that biometric verification in field offices and encrypted internet systems will prevent $1.2 billion annually in fraud. Critics raise doubts, however, if anti-fraud savings are worth the price of diminished access. “A deterrence policy toward rightful claimants fails,” reasons Shannon Benton of The Senior Citizens League, citing estimates that as many as 12% of eligible retirees stand to be shut out of benefits by bureaucratic impediments.
Consequences for targeted groups
Survivor’s benefits—a financial safety net for 4.2 million children and widows—must now be requested in person, posing special challenges. Parents must bring minors to offices during the middle of the school day, while rural widows might not have access to transportation. Although SSI applicants can start claims online, they must also complete them in person, a process the National Council on Aging deems “a labyrinth for low-income seniors.”
A system at the crossroads
As the April 14 deadline nears, the SSA is put to the test on its hybrid service model. While the agency has experimented with UPS Stores to provide limited document services, CBPP imagines mobile offices and increased video appointments. In the meantime, millions of older adults are learning to live in a post-April 14 world where reaching earned benefits depends on bridging geographic and technology gaps—a harsh reminder of the tenuous balance between security and fairness in public administration.
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