Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano is poised to tell Congress this week that the embattled agency has made significant improvements in customer service, even as critics contend these gains are superficial and mask deeper staffing issues.
Bisignano is expected to face pointed questions from lawmakers this week regarding the agency’s customer service performance, its ability to disburse benefits, protect privacy, and other internal operations. He plans to highlight reduced wait times and other customer service metrics during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Wednesday.
Bisignano said in a letter sent to lawmakers ahead of the hearing that the SSA has cut phone wait times by 75% under his leadership, fixed frustrating website issues, and served 50% more people.
He also intends to criticize his predecessor for mandating appointments for field office visits.
"I’ve been very clear. We will meet clients where they want to be met. You want to call us on a phone, we’ll have technology on the phone, or you can talk to somebody on the phone. You want to come to a field office, you can come with an appointment, or without," Bisignano told The Associated Press in an interview.
However, critics argue these reported gains are being achieved through temporary staffing reassignments, an increased reliance on online services, and workforce reductions that could create long-term service risks. They suggest these measures merely shift bottlenecks rather than resolving fundamental staffing problems.
Bisignano dismisses such criticism, stating, "People boo at Yankee Stadium, even when they’re winning."
Social Security layoffs
Bisignano assumed leadership of the agency following a period marked by chaotic customer service changes, leadership departures, and unsubstantiated claims by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk – who led the Department of Government Efficiency cost-cutting program – that millions of deceased individuals were receiving benefits.
The SSA laid off 7,000 workers at the beginning of the Trump administration. Last year, approximately 2,000 employees were reassigned to direct-service roles, including staff whose primary duties typically do not involve answering calls.
While the SSA’s Inspector General, its internal watchdog, has identified ongoing errors in benefit administration and claims processing, its latest semiannual report to Congress also noted measurable progress in telephone service and the deployment of technology to expedite disability claims.
Conversely, the union representing SSA employees, the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220, reports severe understaffing in several field offices, listing locations such as Ironwood, Michigan, and Decorah, Iowa.
Bisignano maintains that no field offices have been closed and reiterated the agency’s commitment to serving clients in their preferred manner.
"What I’m trying to achieve is to have a better way for the American public to interact with the Social Security Administration," he stated.
Bisignano also holds the position of chief executive of the IRS, a role established during the Trump administration. When questioned about a new tax audit immunity agreement for Trump and his family, part of a controversial settlement resolving Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, Bisignano referred The Associated Press to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s recent congressional testimony, where Bessent declined to comment on ongoing litigation.
