In order to continue receiving monthly payments, individuals who register for the first time will need to begin physically confirming their identities at the offices starting in April.
Through the Department of Government Efficiency, which is led by Elon Musk, Trump's close advisor and "First Buddy," the Trump administration implemented this new adjustment.
It comes after Americans were alerted to the precise two actions they should take in the event that their $5,108 Social Security payment is missing.
The Trump administration has aggressively reduced SSA staff by firing 7,000 employees and enforcing stricter identity-proofing regulations for beneficiaries.
Both new and existing beneficiaries are subject to the new rule. People were able to use the website to verify their identities in the past.
Because individuals who do not comply risk losing their payments and having their accounts tagged as fake or inactive, older beneficiaries are extremely apprehensive about the forthcoming adjustments and the difficulties that may follow.
This follows Musk's claim that the SSA was paying people who had passed away. Verification in person could help prevent that.
In his first public speech since leaving office, Joe Biden recently attacked the administration for having "taken a hatchet" to Social Security amid massive federal cuts.
The SSA's decision to give DOGE and Musk access to Social Security numbers and other personally identifying information has also resulted in legal action.
Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act before leaving office, increasing monthly benefits for seniors by around $360.