Social Security Strengthens Identity Proofing Requirements and Expedites Direct Deposit Changes to One Day
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: March 18, 2025
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is taking proactive steps to enhance the security of its services by implementing stronger identity verification procedures. The updated measures will further safeguard Social Security records and benefits against fraudulent activity. Over the next two weeks, SSA will carefully transition to stronger identity proofing procedures for both benefit claims and direct deposit changes. Individuals seeking these services who cannot use their personal my Social Security account, which requires online identity proofing, will then need to visit a local Social Security office to prove their identity in person. At the same time, the agency will expedite processing all direct deposit change requests – both in person and online – to one business day. Prior to this change, online direct deposit changes were held for 30 days.
“Americans deserve to have their Social Security records protected with the utmost integrity and vigilance,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “For far too long, the agency has used antiquated methods for proving identity. Social Security can better protect Americans while expediting service.”
The agency’s two-week transition plan includes training frontline employees and management about the new policy and careful monitoring of policy compliance. At the conclusion of the transition period, on March 31, 2025, SSA will enforce online digital identity proofing and in-person identity proofing. SSA will permit individuals who do not or cannot use the agency’s online my Social Security services to start their claim for benefits on the telephone. However, the claim cannot be completed until the individual’s identity is verified in person. The agency therefore recommends calling to request an in-person appointment to begin and complete the claim in one interaction. Individuals with and without an appointment will need to prove identity before starting a transaction. Individuals who do not or cannot use the agency’s online my Social Security services to change their direct deposit information, can visit a local office to process the change or can call 1-800-772-1213 to schedule an in-person appointment.
SSA recently required nearly all agency employees, including frontline employees in all offices throughout the country, to work in the office five days a week. This change ensures maximum staffing is available to support the stronger in-person identity proofing requirement.
SSA plans to implement the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s payment integrity service called Account Verification Service (AVS). AVS provides instant bank verification services to proactively and timely prevent fraud associated with direct deposit change requests.
The agency will continue to monitor and, if necessary, make adjustments, to ensure it pays the right person the right amount at the right time while at the same time safeguarding the benefits and programs it administers.
People who do not already have a “my Social Security” account can create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount/.
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Madeline
I don’t understand what is changing in ssa why so many changes making it more difficult
Pam W.
This is unbelievable and infuriating. Closing offices, cutting staff, now this? What about disabled and elderly or those with no transportation or access to a computer? What if the local office was closed down?
Have widespread fraud accusations been proven? Couldn’t have been a very thorough audit or investigation in the span of a few weeks.
M.K.
This is ridiculous. With reduced staffing and already overworked offices, my mother cannot get an appointment before April 24 and needs her money going to herself now. I’ve been fighting with you people over the phone for days now and getting zero help. Even waiting on the phone takes hours. We’re putting our own money in there. It isn’t a hand out. Do better.
Philip R.
How long will it take to get an appointment and will this keep me from receiving my benefits. Better not be a complicated procedure, we can’t live without our checks.
Byron
There are clients in hospitals, jail, and other facilities that will not be able to make an in-person disability application appointment or create a mySSA account. It’s already near impossible to reach field offices to schedule in-person appointments that are booked out for over a month, so this new policy will cause undue delays at best and prevent entitled benefits at worst. This also is unlikely to meaningfully affect scammers, which is the biggest area of fraud. False claims via ID theft are extremely rare and there are already built in protections against these, such as an extensive medical review. Finally, there should be exceptions for authorized representatives, since those individuals already certified through the SSA and are another check on fraudulent claims.
Teresa R.
How do they expect a Disable person who is 74 years old to go and stand on line or even walk inside the Security Building Administration…? Or for somebody like me, 70 years old Disable with Ciatica and poor balance due to Severe Arthritis and no way to walk long distance or stairs. with a Disable Daughter who has Epileptic Seizures and enable to walk either, How?
James R.
It’s been over 2 months since I started the process of drawing Social Security.How much longer ,does the process take? Before I see anything resembling a check?
C.B.
Hi, James. Thanks for using our blog and for your question. The length of time it takes to process a retirement application can vary depending on whether we need to verify documents or other personal information. To check the status of your application, you can use your personal my Social Security account or our automated telephone services that are available 24 hours a day. Call us at 1-800-772-1213 and, at the prompt, respond “application status.” For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this information is helpful.
Luis S.
That’s all well and good, I just wonder when the time will be taken to train the Frontline how to treat people with the understanding, civility and respect that was once the US standard in regards to any kind of customer service or Government agencies. It would be nice to not be treated like an irritating inconvenience by the staff at in person interactions.
Lynn
Please when you are leaving a comment read the post. You will see they are requiring employees to work a full 5 day week. This is to increase the staffing to hand the calls and in person appointments. Thank you
James D.
I was glad to hear about the swift one day change of Direct Deposits. The 30 day hold was keeping a lot of people from changing banks for reasons such as moving to new city, town or state.