The changes were supposed to take effect on Monday but have been called off, according to a statement the agency made to the advocacy group AARP, which had lobbied hard against the changes. “Beginning on April 14, SSA will allow all claim types to be completed over the telephone,” the agency said, AARP told HuffPost.

Abrupt changes in staffing and some procedures at the Social Security Administration, coupled with false and misleading claims about widespread fraud, have prompted heated criticism from Democrats, with some statements leaving the wrong impression that benefits are being cut.

The U.S. Social Security Administration abandoned plans to end phone services for retirees that would have started on Monday, following a growing outcry from advocates who warned that the changes could cause chaos and further strain the agency.