Social Security Chief Says Customer Service Improved After Staffing Was Placed in the Right Positions
Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano told lawmakers that the agency’s customer service has improved sharply despite major staffing cuts, saying SSA is achieving its “best all-around performance ever” by using technology and shifting employees to where demand is highest. Appearing before the House Ways and Means Committee, Bisignano said the agency has reduced wait times on its national 1-800 line by 89%, from 42 minutes to under five minutes, while average wait times at field offices have fallen by 30%.
The remarks come after SSA cut about 7,000 workers last year through separation incentive offers, leaving the agency with roughly 50,000 employees, its lowest level in decades. To keep up with demand, SSA has temporarily reassigned more than 2,000 employees to phone support, pulling them from claims processing and in-person help at field offices. Bisignano argued the approach reflects a modern, efficiency-focused model that relies on technology, automation, and better workforce placement rather than simply adding staff.
The commissioner said SSA has also generated productivity gains equal to 2,500 work years through greater use of artificial intelligence and automation tools. He told senators and representatives that the agency is trying to meet beneficiaries’ needs by improving service delivery while dealing with reduced headcount and ongoing attrition. In a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, Bisignano said SSA is seeking to hire 1,000 workers, including telephone service representatives and field office employees, but union officials say that would not be enough to offset expected losses.
Labor representatives and Democratic lawmakers challenged the administration’s claims, arguing that the staffing reductions have made adequate service difficult or impossible. AFGE Council 220 President Jessica LaPointe said SSA has not meaningfully replaced the workers who left and warned that the agency’s current staffing ratio leaves one field office employee for every 4,000 beneficiaries. She urged Congress to approve an additional $3 billion in supplemental funding to hire thousands more permanent telephone agents and frontline workers.
Several lawmakers expressed concern that reassigning staff to phones may improve one metric while weakening other services. Rep. John Larson said the agency is taking workers away from existing responsibilities, and Rep. Don Beyer questioned whether employees answering calls are being given enough training. Rep. Gwen Moore criticized the idea that reassignments alone could solve staffing problems, saying callers still face long waits and incomplete answers.
Former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley said morale among employees is low and warned the agency may struggle to recruit new workers. Bisignano responded that the agency has the right staff in the right places and that field office visits are declining while phone demand remains high. Republican lawmakers praised the turnaround, saying SSA is serving more Americans with fewer employees, while Democrats remained skeptical that the improvements are sustainable without more staffing.
