(NewsNation) — The Trump administration has clarified that a change to the Social Security Administration’s phone policy is optional.
The new policy, which had a start date of Aug. 18, would have required millions of Social Security recipients to travel to field offices for routine account updates and have to go online to get a security authentication PIN.
AARP sent a letter to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano on Tuesday, saying that the change would create an obstacle for seniors, people with disabilities and those who lack access to a computer or internet. About 3.4 million more people would have been forced to go to a field office, which has recently seen staffing cuts.
The SSA later said that any Social Security beneficiaries and account holders aren’t required to visit a field office if they choose not to use the authentication PIN, according to Axios.
Some Social Security offices had plans to close this year due to federal spending cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). SSA later said the offices would not close permanently, but only from a “time to time basis” due to weather, damage or “facilities issues.”
More than 68 million people throughout the U.S. receive Social Security benefits, and more people are starting to rely heavily on the monthly payments.