The Social Security Administration (SSA) has made an unexpected shift in its policies. Specifically, the agency has made new decisions that directly affect millions of pension applicants. The measures come amid a growing internal crisis, due to a surge in applications and a reduction in staff.
The most significant change is the revocation of a controversial anti-fraud measure that delayed retirement applications. This component had caused great discontent among older citizens. Now, finally, it has been completely discarded just a few weeks after its implementation.
The controversy over Elon Musk's anti-fraud measure
Originally promoted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Elon Musk's leadership, the measure had sparked much criticism. The policy attempted to prevent fraud by delaying retirement applications for three days in order to more thoroughly verify claims. In addition, beneficiaries were required to use only their online accounts to submit applications.
This decision excluded those without Internet access or who lived in remote areas without nearby offices. Despite efforts to justify this measure, advocates for older people and people with disabilities warned about the burden it would create.
Within a few weeks, the regulation caused a flood of calls and visits to local offices, which led SSA to have to review the measure. Now, telephone applications for benefits will only be reviewed to detect fraud, without the automatic delay that had initially been imposed.
SSA's internal crisis
This shift in anti-fraud policy comes in an even more complicated context for SSA. The agency faces a massive backlog of nearly 575,000 retirement applications (575,000), many of which have remained pending for more than 60 days. This chaos has been exacerbated by a significant reduction in staff, with 7,000 fewer employees, which has put more pressure on the remaining workers.
SSA has tried to alleviate this crisis through a "sprint" to speed up the processing of applications. However, the measure was seen by many employees as a response disconnected from the agency's reality. The discontent among workers is very palpable, and many feel that the lack of resources and support has worsened the situation, creating an atmosphere of widespread frustration.
Impact of the new decisions
SSA faces great pressure to find a balance between protecting the social security system and ensuring that legitimate applications are processed quickly. With the elimination of the anti-fraud measure that delayed applications, authorities hope to speed up the process without sacrificing the system's security. However, it remains to be seen whether this new strategy will be enough to address the growing number of applications and the collapse in customer service.