The Social Security Administration (SSA) has confirmed massive changes at Social Security that will affect millions of Americans. These massive changes are a result of a focused technology enhancement. These changes are part of Commissioner Frank Bisignano’s plan to modernize the agency to make it more efficient, easily accessible, and more responsive than ever before.
A Technology Upgrade That Reaches Every American
The SSA has been rolling out an upgrade to its telephone system and online services across the nation. This week, the agency announced that over 841 field offices were now operating with a new telephone technology. That is about 70% of all locations nationwide, and in a month’s time, projections indicate that the coverage will be at 100%.
The new telephone technology will shorten wait times, offer additional self-service options, and make it possible for SSA’s employees to serve callers from any location.
“We are transforming the customer experience, investing in technology to build frontline capacity, and using real-time data to monitor performance across the board,” Commissioner Bisignano said. “We are delivering higher levels of customer service—and this will continue.
Faster Service on the Phone and In-Person
The modernization of technology on the SSA’s National 800 Number has lowered the average speed of answer from 18 minutes down to 6 minutes. Additionally, the SSA has been able to handle close to 1.3 million calls, which is a 70% increase from the same time last year. Hold times have also decreased dramatically because of automated self-service and convenient callbacks that have completed 90% of calls.
Lastly, there has been a 23% improvement in wait time from 30 minutes to 23 minutes in 2025.
24/7 Online Access Now Available
Initially, downtime on the “My Social Security” used to frustrate beneficiaries. Currently, the portal is offering uninterrupted 24/7 access. As a result, the portal has enabled over 125,000 additional customers to access their accounts and manage their benefits easily and efficiently.
Clearing Backlogs and Speeding Up Claims
The SSA has also reduced the initial disability claims backlog to 25%. Disability hearing times have also been reduced by 60 days, and now pending hearings are at historic lows. The processing times for disability claims have also improved by 5 days on average since Bisignano took office as the Commissioner.
A Win for Public Servants Under the Social Security Fairness Act
Besides the technology upgrades at the SSA, the agency has been able to complete a major Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) rollout five months earlier ahead of schedule. Over $17 billion was paid out to government workers whose benefits had been garnished by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO). These workers included police officers, firefighters, teachers, and other public servants.
Conclusion
Millions of Americans will notice some difference in service delivery and bigger improvements in the future thanks to a major nationwide upgrade to the SSA’s telephone system and online services. Due to these improvements, beneficiaries will experience shorter wait times and additional self-service options. The agency has assured its beneficiaries that more upgrades will be rolled out and it will always put customer service at the heat of its operations.