The Trump administration received major criticism for rolling back parts of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) call services, including the removal callback time information, just as wait times and claim processing delays have surged in 2025.
Key Call Features Disappear Amid Mounting Delays
When you call the SSA now, there’s no estimate of how long you’ll be on hold, no information about when a callback might come, and no data on how many others are waiting with you. These changes, first reported by The Washington Post, are the latest in a string of developments that critics say obscure just how the agency is struggling.
The once-transparent data performance page on SSA’s website was taken down in early June. When it returned, it featured far fewer options and a strong push for users to rely on the SSA’s online services. “The fastest way for customers to get service is through my Social Security,” the new page reads, boasting that the online portal has a wait time of “0 minutes.”
Staff Cuts and Backlogs Blamed for Service Breakdown
Inside the agency, one SSA employee told The Post that processing claims under Trump takes at least twice as long as during Biden’s term. For international applicants, wait times can stretch out for a month or longer. “It’s really a mess right now,” the employee admitted. “Everything is so far backed up.”
The backlog is no surprise to those following internal staffing trends. Since Elon Musk’s Department of Government Services (DOGE) initiated budget cuts, nearly half of SSA’s senior executives and thousands of employees have left, either through buyouts or retirement. According to The New York Times, DOGE plans to cut an additional 12 % of the agency’s workforce, roughly 7,000 people.
A 10 % staff reduction has already left the remaining workforce overwhelmed, said Rich Couture of the American Federation of Government Employees. “Removal of real-time performance data from SSA’s website will only obscure the impact of the cuts and chaos on public service,” he warned.
A Digital Shift That Leaves Many Behind
SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano defended the move, saying it reflects the agency’s push to become a “digital-first” service provider. “We are updating our performance metrics to better reflect the real experiences of the people we serve,” he said, adding that the agency may consider reinstating some statistics in the future.
But pushing everything online isn’t working for everyone. A lot of Social Security recipients are older or have disabilities, and they rely on speaking to someone over the phone or getting help in person. For them, trying to navigate a website isn’t just frustrating, it’s almost impossible.
Advocates Call It a “Cover-Up”
Consumer advocates and policy experts say the administration is trying to bury the evidence of its own mismanagement.
Alex Lawson, executive director of the Social Security Works said that the data removals “hide how much they’ve destroyed the system’s customer service.” “People will notice when they can’t get appointments.”
Former SSA Commissioner and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley echoed the concerns, saying the public deserves accurate and timely information. “It’s a shame they’re trashing the trust people should have in these numbers.”
Erosion of Trust in a Lifeline Program
More than 74 million Americans count on Social Security, so these changes aren’t just a small annoyance, they hit hard. Critics say the cuts don’t just slow things down; they chip away at the trust people have in a system they depend on to survive.
What started as a quiet move to hide delays and backups has turned into a much bigger fight over how the government serves its people and what happens when real, human help starts disappearing.