Since being appointed to the role of Commissioner at the Social Security Administration (SSA) in May, Frank J. Bisignano has shared a goal to make the agency a “digital-first organization,” and, based on recent updates from the agency, work is indeed being done to achieve this goal. The agency’s phone line, in particular, has become somewhat infamous for the wait times faced by beneficiaries trying to conduct routine tasks.
The criticism surrounding service delivery at the SSA over the course of the year has often been tied to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its role at the agency. DOGE was introduced to the SSA to implement cutbacks, and a February announcement from the SSA revealed that the agency planned to reduce its workforce from 57,000 to 50,000 over fiscal year 2025.
As such, to address the issue of service delivery and wait times on the phone line, the agency announced some innovations to its phone line and online services. The agency phone line now has an automated system which, according to the agency, is used by close to 90% of callers. Here is what you need to know.
Social Security service delivery improves
On August 17th, the SSA updated its blog with a post outlining its recent achievements in service delivery. Citing the latest performance metrics, the agency shared that it is now “handling more customer requests than ever with shorter wait times and more convenient service options.” The agency further notes that this reduction in wait times following the implementation of the new systems has “saved Americans 43 million hours over the last year.”
The first major change implemented has been 24/7 online access. Previously, beneficiaries had to work around scheduled downtime when trying to conduct routine tasks on the agency website. Beneficiaries can now do the following through their my Social Security account at any hour of the day, as per the SSA:
- Check your benefits or update your records anytime
- Apply for benefits online
- Request a replacement Social Security card
With regard to the automated phone system, beneficiaries can also do the following over the phone:
- Verify your benefits
- Check claim status
- Change your address
- Request tax or Medicare forms
The blog update also notes that almost 90% of callers use the automated system; however, if an agent is still needed, “average wait times have dropped from 24 minutes in July 2024 to just 8 minutes in July 2025, and our answer rate has increased to 78%.” However, according to a statement shared with Newsweek by Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group, when he tested the accuracy of the SSA’s eight-minute hold-time claim “at 8:35 a.m. CST Monday, he was given a wait time of 50 minutes.”
Use of AI tools sparks criticism
In the update, the agency also mentions that it is “processing retirement and survivors claims faster than before,” however, just a month prior, in July, a group of lawmakers—including Senator Elizabeth Warren—drafted a letter to Commissioner Bisignano voicing their concerns regarding the use of AI tools on the agency phone line.
The office of Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden also received calls from constituents claiming that they had been unable to access their Social Security and SSI benefits due to “chatbots giving the wrong response to a different question than the one the caller asked.”
As such, the group of senators outlined the following in their letter to the SSA Commissioner:
“This lack of communication from your agency undermines its efforts to improve services by sowing chaos and confusion, which breeds distrust in the agency and its leadership. If SSA cannot learn from its mistakes in incorporating AI into basic telephone services for beneficiaries, we are concerned that SSA will make even bigger mistakes in incorporating AI into higher-risk tasks, particularly in roles that could jeopardize Americans’ financial security.”