There are more than 59 million survivors, retirees and workers with disabilities depending on Social Security in this country. So it made a lot of sense when the Social Security Administration (SSA) made online features available to help manage your Social Security account. This measure helped improve wait times and cut down on the line at your local SSA office. But there’s a new wrinkle in the system, and many people are finding themselves locked out of their accounts.
Multifactor authentication (MFA) has been a part of the SSA’s my Social Security accounts since 2012. It is a security option that sends a text to your cellphone, then asks for the authorization code it sent. The code lasts for 10 minutes, and it provides you with an extra layer of security. This prevents people from breaking into your account and stealing precious personal info. This security feature has always been optional, but it has worked so well the SSA decided to make it a requirement.
On July 30th, MFA became mandatory for every my Social Security account. This means you now need a cellphone that has texting capabilities in order to access your Social Security information online. However, many people are not happy about the change.
The system is supposed to make handling your account online more secure, but Verizon customers are having problems. When they try to log onto their accounts, Verizon customers were finding themselves locked out due to technical difficulties. The SSA has fixed the problem with Verizon cellphones, but others are still getting locked out of their accounts. And these aren’t the only problems plaguing the new system.
Social Security beneficiaries that don’t have a text-enabled cellphone have to call the SSA directly to manage their accounts. While security experts think circumventing the security measure will be easy for crooks. Are they right? Is the new MFA security measures keeping you from managing your disability benefits? Tell us about your problems on Facebook and Twitter, and keep following our blog for more solutions.
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