SSA Commissioner Briefs Social Security Advisory Board on Major Customer Service Improvements

SSA Commissioner Briefs Social Security Advisory Board on Major Customer Service Improvements
Commissioner Bisignano met with the Social Security Advisory Board to discuss the digital-first transformation occurring at the agency.

Baltimore, MD - On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano met with Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) members Amy Shuart, Chair; Bob Joondeph; Jagadeesh Gokhale; and Nancy Altman to provide an update on the significant customer service improvements being made under President Donald J. Trump. As part of the meeting, the Commissioner discussed his vision for operational excellence, SSA's strategic investment in technology and workforce, and the agency's notable progress in improving service across each of its programs.

"The American people are experiencing a Social Security Administration that has been transformed through digital innovation and strategic process engineering to deliver best-in-class service," said Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano. "Under President Trump, we are serving more Americans faster than ever before. I look forward to the leadership of the new SSAB Chair and a strong working relationship with the Board."

"I appreciate Commissioner Bisignano's detailed update to the Board on the Social Security Administration's customer service metrics and the significant progress made under his leadership, as the Board has regularly encouraged the agency to improve the service it provides," said SSAB Chair Amy Shuart. "I look forward to continued updates as the agency builds on this momentum and strives to better serve the public."

The Commissioner provided an overview of the meaningful improvements being made at SSA:

• Americans now have 24/7 access to their personal my Social Security account, when previously the website was down 29 hours a week.
• Sixty-five percent more calls were answered in FY 2025 compared to FY 2024.
• The average speed of answer for the National 800 Number is now in the single digits.
• Technology improvements allowed 90 percent of calls to now be resolved via self-service or convenient callbacks.
• The upgraded phone system supported field offices nationwide and enabled 30 percent of all calls to be handled instantaneously through technology.
• The average wait time for visitors at field offices decreased by nearly 30 percent from FY 2024 to FY 2025, and those with an appointment wait on average just six minutes to be helped.
• The pending inventory of initial disability claims has decreased by 33% from the all-time high of 1.26 million pending claims in June 2024.
• Completed sending over 3.1 million payments, totaling over $17 billion, to beneficiaries eligible under the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA), 5 months ahead of schedule.
• Addressed waste, fraud, and abuse by prioritizing the accuracy of payments and ensuring those ineligible to receive benefits are not improperly paid.

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