The Social Security program exists as a cornerstone of support for millions of retirees, survivors, and disabled individuals all across America. Since first being introduced in 1935, the insurance program has now amassed around 70 million beneficiaries — many of whom rely on their monthly benefits as a primary source of income without which they might not be able to cover their general living expenses.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is the agency tasked with overseeing the program and ensuring that payments roll out smoothly. When considering the sheer number of beneficiaries who are dependent on this program, it is comes as no surprise that the agency is regularly enacting changes and updates to its services and procedures in order to increase efficiency as best it can.
As such, here are some recent changes and advancements announced by the SSA as part of its latest initiative to modernize the agency.
Big changes at the Social Security Administration
Following a nomination for the role from President Donald Trump in January, Frank Bisignano had been officially appointed as the new Commissioner of the SSA in May. The new SSA Commissioner has previously stated that he plans to make the agency a “digital first organization” and it appears that progress is indeed being made in this regard.
“Our vision is centered on providing outstanding service that works for everyone we serve—whether they call, walk into a field office, or choose to manage their benefits online,” Commissioner Bisignano shared in a statement. “We are transforming the customer experience, investing in technology to build frontline capacity, and using real-time data to monitor performance across the board. We are delivering higher levels of customer service—and this will continue.”
Bisignano assumed his role at the SSA during a rather tumultuous time as result of the cutbacks enacted earlier in the year by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) wherein a significant number of employees were let go as the agency restructured. The SSA had also been in the midst of processing all Social Security Fairness Act cases — a task which had then been completed 5 months ahead of schedule.
Technological advancements at the SSA
In pursuit of bettering customer service, the SSA has recently announced that it has achieved several major milestones, many of which are in relation to the phone line and handling of large volumes of calls. According to a July 7th press release from the SSA, upgraded telephone technology has been deployed to 841 field offices.
Furthermore, the average speed of answer has been been reduced to 6 minutes when last year, callers waited an average of 30 minutes. Just a week ago, “the agency handled nearly 1.3 million calls on the national 800 number, which was 70 percent more than the same week last fiscal year.” Field office wait times are also down by about 10% due to the implementation of a new service model, and for those who prefer to use their my Social Security account can now do so 24/7. As of mid-July, users will have all-hours access to the online portal after previously having to work around scheduled down times.
The agency has also decreased “the initial disability claims backlog by 25 percent, from a record high of 1.2 million cases pending last summer to 950,000 cases pending today,” and achieved “a historic low of approximately 276,000 disability hearings pending, with customers experiencing wait times 60 days shorter than last summer.”
“My top priority is to transform SSA into a model of excellence—an organization that operates at peak efficiency and delivers outstanding service to every American,” stated Commissioner Bisignano. “The American people have waited long enough for better service, and they deserve the absolute best from their government. I am deeply grateful to our dedicated employees who are already making this turnaround a reality.”