SSA Gets Rid of its No Phone Policy

Cross References

ssa.gov/news/press/releases After complaints from the public, Congress, advocates, and others, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has eliminated its no phone policy.

On March 18, 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced it would no longer allow identity verification over the phone. Applicants signing up for Social Security benefits would either have to set up and use their personal “my Social Security” account, which requires online identity proofing, or visit a local Social Security office to prove their identity in person.

On March 26, 2025, SSA updated its policy to allow individuals applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) who cannot use a personal “my Social Security” account to complete their claim entirely over the telephone without the need to come into a local SSA office.

On April 12, 2025, SSA eliminated its no phone policy. Beginning April 14, 2025, SSA will allow individuals to complete all claim types via telephone.

The April 12, 2025 announcement states it is implementing enhanced fraud prevention tools for claims over the telephone. The enhanced technology enables SSA to identify suspicious activity in telephone claims by analyzing patterns and anomalies within a person’s account. If irregularities are detected, the individual will be asked to complete in-person identity proofing to continue processing their claim. The announcement does not provide specifics or examples of what patterns or anomalies will require an applicant to prove his or her identity in person.