BALTIMORE, Md. – The Social Security Administration is marking one year since Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano was sworn in as the agency’s 18th Senate-confirmed leader, highlighting major improvements in customer service, digital access, and disability processing during his first year in office.
Bisignano said the agency has focused on fulfilling President Donald Trump’s commitment to protect and strengthen Social Security while modernizing services for Americans.
“I made a commitment to President Trump and the American people to protect and strengthen Social Security and transform this agency into a premier service organization,” Bisignano said. “Over the last year, we have delivered better, faster, higher-quality customer service for the more than 330 million Americans we serve. We are just getting started.”
The Social Security Administration distributes approximately 75 million payments each month, totaling about $1.6 trillion annually, supporting retirees, survivors, families, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations.
According to SSA, the agency reduced the average wait time on its National 800 Number to 6.6 minutes — an 84 percent decrease from the 42-minute average reported during fiscal year 2024.
The agency also reported a 20 percent increase in online transactions in fiscal year 2025, completing nearly 90 million more online transactions compared to the previous year. Officials said website availability also improved after previously being offline for approximately 29 hours each week.
Field office wait times have decreased by 30 percent since fiscal year 2024, while new phone technologies implemented at more than 1,200 field offices now allow nearly 30 percent of calls to be handled through automated self-service or callback options.
SSA also announced significant progress in reducing disability processing delays. The agency said the initial disability claims backlog dropped by 33 percent, from 1.27 million pending cases in 2024 to 853,000 cases in April 2026. Disability hearing wait times also reached historic lows after falling by 40 percent.
Under the Social Security Fairness Act, the agency said it distributed more than 3.1 million payments totaling $17 billion to eligible beneficiaries five months ahead of schedule.
Commissioner Bisignano also emphasized cybersecurity and accountability initiatives, including the creation of the agency’s first Chief of Security and Resiliency and first Chief Risk Officer positions.
The commissioner also renewed focus on the Supplemental Security Income program by establishing a dedicated SSI Improvement Team aimed at improving processing efficiency, assisting recipients with compliance requirements, and reducing improper payments.
SSA’s digital services also reached a major milestone this year, surpassing 100 million my Social Security accounts. The online portal allows Americans to access earnings records, benefit estimates, payment information, and important documents online.
More information or account registration is available through the Social Security Administration’s website.
