BALTIMORE, Md. — The Social Security Administration says its transition toward a digital-first model is delivering measurable improvements in customer service, cutting wait times and shrinking long-standing backlogs.
Social Security Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano told members of the Social Security Advisory Board on Thursday that recent technology upgrades and staffing investments are transforming how the agency serves the public.
“The American people are experiencing a Social Security Administration that has been transformed through digital innovation and strategic process engineering,” Bisignano said.
Agency leaders highlighted sweeping changes in how Americans access Social Security services. Once plagued by frequent outages, the SSA website now operates around the clock, giving users uninterrupted access to their personal my Social Security accounts.
Phone service has also improved sharply. In fiscal year 2025, the agency answered 65% more calls than the previous year, while average wait times on the national 800 number have dropped into single-digit minutes.
Bisignano said new technology allows 90% of calls to be handled through automated self-service options or scheduled callbacks. A modernized phone platform has been expanded to field offices nationwide, enabling 30% of all incoming calls to be resolved immediately through automated systems.
In-person service is also becoming more efficient. Average wait times at field offices declined nearly 30% between fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Visitors with scheduled appointments now wait about six minutes on average before being helped.
The commissioner also pointed to progress in reducing disability claim backlogs. The number of pending initial disability claims has dropped 33% from a high of 1.26 million in June 2024.
Separately, the agency has completed more than 3.1 million payments totaling over $17 billion to beneficiaries covered under the Social Security Fairness Act — finishing the task five months ahead of schedule.
The update underscores the SSA’s broader effort to modernize operations and deliver faster, more reliable service to millions of Americans who rely on the program.
