NORTH CAROLINA —- The Social Security Administration announced significant progress in customer service delivery today, highlighting substantial improvements in response times and service capacity across phone, online, and in-person channels. The improvements stem from strategic technology enhancements and process engineering initiatives under Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano’s modernization agenda.
Phone Service Sees Dramatic Improvements
The most notable progress has been made in telephone service delivery. SSA’s National 800 Number handled nearly 1.3 million calls last week—a 70% increase compared to the same period last fiscal year. More importantly, the average speed of answer has dropped to just 6 minutes, representing an 80% reduction from the 30-minute average wait time experienced last year.
“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,” said Commissioner Bisignano. “We are transforming the customer experience, investing in technology to build frontline capacity, and using real-time data to monitor performance across the board.”
Field Office Wait Times Cut by Nearly 25%
In-person service has also improved significantly. Field office wait times have been reduced to an average of 23 minutes this year, down from 30 minutes last year—a 23% improvement that directly benefits Americans who prefer face-to-face assistance with their Social Security needs.
Online Services Enhanced with 24/7 Access
The agency has eliminated the longstanding scheduled downtime of 29 hours per week for its online portal, my Social Security. This change alone enabled 125,000 additional customers to access their online accounts in the first week after implementation, demonstrating the immediate impact of removing service barriers.
Social Security Fairness Act Implementation Completed Ahead of Schedule
These service improvements come alongside the successful completion of a major legislative implementation. SSA finished distributing over 3.1 million payments totaling more than $17 billion to beneficiaries eligible under the Social Security Fairness Act—completing the work five months ahead of the original timeline.
The payments reached approximately 2.8 million current Social Security beneficiaries whose benefits had been reduced due to the Windfall Elimination Provision or Government Pension Offset, including many firefighters, police officers, teachers, and other public servants.
Disability Claims Processing Shows Marked Progress
The agency has also made substantial progress in reducing disability claim backlogs. Initial disability claims pending have decreased to 940,000 cases, down from a record high of over 1.2 million last year—a 25% reduction. Processing times have improved by five days on average since Commissioner Bisignano began his tenure.
Additionally, disability hearings are maintaining historic lows in pending cases, with average wait times reduced by 60 days since June 2024.
Modernization Strategy Focuses on Customer-Centric Approach
Commissioner Bisignano’s modernization efforts emphasize meeting customers where they are and addressing their needs at the first point of contact. The strategy includes real-time performance monitoring and flexible resource deployment to sustain improvements across all service channels.
“Our strategy is clear: serve customer needs quickly and completely, no matter how they contact us,” Commissioner Bisignano explained. “We will continue to evaluate our tools, technology, and processes to empower our workforce to provide best-in-class customer service to the American people.”
The improvements reflect a broader commitment to building trust in government service through operational agility and enhanced customer experience. SSA continues to measure performance indicators and adapt resources to maintain progress across all service delivery channels.
For more information about Social Security services, Americans can visit www.ssa.gov.
