A potential new Social Security Administration policy would force 3.4 million more people to visit field offices to update their addresses and make other routine requests at a time when the agency’s staffing has been cut and field offices face long wait times for appointments.

A policy change aimed at fraud prevention could create new access challenges for Social Security recipients across the U.S.

The transition primarily affects a small group of beneficiaries who have not switched to electronic payment methods already, which is less than 1%, the administration wrote. Notices are being sent out to these individuals to explain the upcoming change and highlight the benefits of switching to electronic payments.