SSA shifting to digital signatures for many of its most-used forms
More than 30 of the most commonly used forms in Social Security Administration field offices will shift from physical to digital signatures, in a modernization move that the agency said is intended to ease customer burdens.
Those forms collectively represent roughly 14 million signatures submitted yearly, making up 90% of the forms most regularly used by customers at local SSA offices.
“Across forms that Americans use most often, we’re eliminating as many pain points as possible, from helping people sign at the click of a button to reducing the need to drive or mail something in whenever possible,” SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in a press release. “This means faster and more error-free processing and better service for our customers, who deserve a government that meets their needs efficiently and effectively.”
The agency also announced that it would scrap signature requirements for 13 other forms, which the SSA said would simplify application processes by eliminating a possible reason for claims to be rejected or sent back.
The removal of the signature requirement for those 13 forms will account for 1 million submissions in volume annually, the SSA said, adding that customers could upload several of those forms online. The agency will consider other existing signature requirements for elimination going forward.
“Social Security works to pay the right people at the right time in the correct amount,” the agency said in the press release. “These efforts ensure we maintain strong anti-fraud protections while removing onerous requirements that are not serving their intended purposes.”
Thursday’s announcement comes a week after the SSA said it would digitize its application process for first-time Supplemental Security Income applicants between 18-65 who have never been married.
Since taking over as commissioner at the end of last year, O’Malley has pushed for more paper-to-digital shifts across Social Security, while overseeing the launch of a SecurityStat data-tracking system and embracing artificial intelligence.
