“As with most of the recent announcements from Trump’s Social Security Administration, the latest one regarding ‘digital Social Security cards’ raises serious concerns for seniors — and has the potential to cause confusion and unnecessary inconvenience. While younger generations may be able to access the new ‘digital’ Social Security cards without difficulty, many seniors will not. Accessing the My Social Security site (or mobile app) and going through 2-factor authentication could be a serious hurdle for some older or disabled beneficiaries. According to Pew Research, more than 20% of seniors do not have cell phones, while surveys indicate that over half of people 65+ have less ‘tech readiness’ than younger adults.
Social Security is about to turn 90 years old this summer. We would think by now that the Trump administration would stop to consider who Social Security beneficiaries really are. They’re in their 60s or older — or are living with significant disabilities that prevent them from working. They most definitely are not Musk tech bros in their early 20s.
SSA’s characterization of Social Security beneficiaries as ‘account holders’ further betrays an ignorance of the demographic the agency serves. These are beneficiaries attempting to access information regarding their earned benefits. Social Security is a public trust, not a bank or credit card company — but the Trump administration is treating it like one.
The announcement also leaves unclear whether traditional paper Social Security cards eventually will be phased out. That is something seniors need to know. Also, doesn’t SSA have more urgent problems to solve? Why spend time and money on digital cards when there still are long hold times on the agency’s 1-800 number, website crashes, and delays in processing and adjudicating claims?
We suspect that a policy disguised as a new technological convenience is yet another attempt to justify the reckless reduction in staff and resources that the Trump administration has imposed on the agency that administers earned benefits for 73 million Americans.” – Max Richtman, President & CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
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Media inquiries contact:
Walter Gottlieb