An internal memo circulated at the Social Security Administration stated that the agency is considering adding another step to battle fraud that would force millions of customers to file for benefits in person at a field office instead of over the phone, according to The Washington Post.

The memo noted that the policy change would lead to significant disruptions to the agency’s operations and could lead to major difficulties for elderly and disabled people with restricted mobility. The Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk, also revealed plans to close dozens of Social Security offices…

  • andrewta@lemmy.world
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    1 hour ago

    As bad as they make websites doing it online is going to be basically impossible for most people anyway.

    Same for the mail in forms.

    I swear the people who design these things personally keep the cartels in business by the amount of Crack they do.

  • The_Caretaker@lemm.ee
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    9 hours ago

    I immigrated to Japan 6 years ago. If I have to register to vote in person and have to apply for Social Security in person, then the IRS should have to come and collect taxes in person too. not just from me but from everyone in the USA as well. How else can they be sure you’re a real person paying taxes?

  • edric@lemm.ee
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    13 hours ago

    Forcing people to go in person while at the same time closing down offices.

    • pivot_root@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Of course. It’s just efficiency. The only way it could be more efficient is if they closed down all the offices.

      No claims + no employees = no expenses.

      The man did it again. He plugged the teeny tiny hole that let wealth “trickle down” and saved the billionaires millions in taxes. America is so much better now /s

  • mesamune@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    “The Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk, also revealed plans to close dozens of Social Security office”

    So we can look forward to waiting in lines for literal days in order to get the smallest of questions done. Its like a Futurama skit.

    If it passes, there will be riots. Probably outside of the remaining Social Security offices…

    • Airowird@lemm.ee
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      15 hours ago

      “Let’s piss off hundreds of thousands of people with nothing to lose, then make them all meet in the same place.”

      Because nothing bad ever happened when the downtrotten realise they’re far from alone…

      • pivot_root@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        make them all meet in the same place

        Ye of little faith. The next step is replacing all physical offices with a broken phone tree and an “(AI) agent” queue with an artificial wait time of 7-16 hours before entering the actual queue—to deter the scammers and fraudsters, of course.

        /s but that’s probably exactly what will happen.

  • Doug Holland@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    An internal memo circulated at the Social Security Administration stated that the agency is considering adding another step to battle fraud…

    Nope. Bullshit. None of this is about battling fraud, and anyway ,Social Security is about the cleanest, most fraud-free agency possible. Over 99% accuracy. The claims of rampant fraud are just more Republican lies.

  • MyOpinion@lemm.ee
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    10 hours ago

    I am surprised MAGA has not just started mailing guns to every senior with a note that Says you know what to do.

  • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
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    12 hours ago

    A lot of people overseas also rely on social security. I certainly would hope to collect something in another 20ish years as well.

    • tal@lemmy.today
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      11 hours ago

      I don’t know about the sick, but the Republican Party sort of needs elderly voters, unless it’s gonna do some kind of radical realignment.

  • reddig33@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    Everyone clutch your pearls and act shocked! It’s not like Republicans haven’t been talking about getting rid of social security for years.