() The Social Security Administration is set to impose tighter identity verification measures starting March 31, requiring millions of Americans to verify their identity in person rather than over the phone.

New in-person requirements

Under the new policy, people will no longer be able to verify their identity to the SSA by telephone. Those who cannot successfully use the agency’s online “my Social Security” service will need to visit a field office in person to complete the verification process.

The changes will apply to new Social Security applicants and existing recipients who want to modify their direct deposit information.

Faster direct deposit processing

While implementing stricter verification requirements, the SSA also plans to expedite the processing of direct deposit change requests. Both in-person and online requests will now be processed within one business day, eliminating the previous 30-day hold period for online direct deposit changes.

Fraud prevention efforts

The agency says the SSA is losing over $100 million annually to direct deposit fraud.

Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security explained that a major challenge in preventing fraudulent claims is that “the information that we use through knowledge-based authentication is already in the public domain.”

Office closures raise concerns

The new verification requirements come as the agency plans to close dozens of Social Security offices across the country.

According to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) website, leases for 47 Social Security field offices in states including Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina have been or will be terminated.

Retiree advocates warn that these changes could negatively impact older Americans in rural areas, particularly those with disabilities, mobility limitations, limited internet access, or who live far from SSA offices.