Summary
WLUK Fox 11 interviews DRW attorney, Eva Shiffrin, about the new Social Security Administration policy for in-person identity verifications. She discusses what these changes could mean for Social Security disability beneficiaries and the barriers they face in getting to a field office.
Read and watch Disability Rights Wisconsin attorney, Eva Shiffrin, talk about the changes and its effects on beneficiaries via W.L.U.K. Fox 11 here: “Social Security’s new ID rules could complicate access for Northeast Wisconsin recipients”
The Social Security Administration recently announced a new policy that would affect many Social Security disability beneficiaries. The new policy requires beneficiaries to verify their identities in-person at a field office if they cannot verify through their “my Social Security” (mySSA) accounts.
Before this policy, beneficiaries could verify their identities over the phone. Now, they would need to travel to a field office if they can’t verify through mySSA, which will overwhelm already understaffed field offices. Wait times may increase for all beneficiaries because of the added burden on field offices.
Many Social Security disability beneficiaries may not be able to access their accounts because they do not have computers, cell phones, email accounts, or internet access. Also, field office locations can be far from a person’s home. Many beneficiaries do not have reliable transportation or have disabilities and health conditions that makes traveling to an office difficult.
Eva Shiffrin, an attorney with Disability Rights Wisconsin, spoke to WLUK Fox 11 about the potential consequences of this new policy. She says: “With a lot of Americans really living close to the edge, even having a small disruption in services could have a big impact.” With so many Americans struggling to make ends meet, this policy could negatively affect people with disabilities and older Americans.