The agency’s plan to curtail phone services, which was expected to send tens of thousands to its offices each week, had been widely criticized.

The Social Security Administration said on Tuesday that people seeking retirement or survivor benefits could continue to file applications over the phone, reversing a much criticized change that was expected to force tens of thousands of Americans to visit offices in person each week.

The agency has been in a state of tumult ever since Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency arrived inside its headquarters, enacting deep staff cuts and other policy and technical changes, which has caused widespread anxiety and confusion among both employees and beneficiaries.

The planned restriction on phone services was one of those changes: Social Security said last month that individuals could no longer file for benefits or make changes to direct deposit banking over the phone. The policy, which was to take effect

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