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June 26, 2025
Social Safety Administration Quietly Removes Buyer Service Information Earlier than Commissioner Testifies
The Social Safety Administration (SSA) stopped posting customer support efficiency metrics on its web site, in accordance with a brand new report from The Washington Publish. The SSA web site not has a “reside knowledge” part that exhibits present name wait occasions, callback wait occasions, and variety of callers ready on maintain or ready for a callback.
SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano didn’t say why the company eliminated this data or decide to restoring it when requested by Rep. Judy Chu (CA) throughout a listening to within the Home Methods and Means Social Safety and Work and Welfare Subcommittees on Wednesday.
Bisignano centered on his plan to make use of expertise, together with Synthetic Intelligence, to “modernize” customer support on the company, and insisted that he doesn’t want to extend staffing ranges for these enhancements. In February, the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) applied staffing reductions that slashed the SSA workforce by 12 %, wreaking havoc on the company with slowed down claims processing occasions, elevated wait occasions, and frequent web site crashes.
All through the customarily combative listening to on Wednesday, Bisignano emphasised that he needs to make use of expertise on the company extra whereas nonetheless “assembly individuals the place they’re” and offering “an omnichannel” method.
However he failed to supply specifics about how he would be certain that rural Individuals and seniors with out broadband or good telephones proceed to have entry to customer support whereas the company implements synthetic intelligence (AI) and different modernization applied sciences. He didn’t present a direct reply about whether or not AI can be used for eligibility determinations or redeterminations.
“These adjustments usually are not modernizing, they’re marginalizing,” stated Rep. Terri Sewell (AL). “In Black and Brown communities the place generational poverty and digital exclusion stay excessive, seniors are actually anticipated to navigate impersonal and inaccessible programs with little or no help.”
Committee members additionally requested in regards to the Division of Authorities Effectivity’s (DOGE) attain within the Social Safety Administration. Bisignano deflected questions on how a lot affect DOGE has inside the company, and he doubled down on misinformation initially unfold by Elon Musk, the top of DOGE, refusing to refute his false declare that 120 yr olds have been gathering Social Safety advantages.
“There’s an instantaneous urgency because it offers with DOGE and their entry to the general public’s private knowledge,” stated Social Safety Subcommittee Rating Member John Larson (CT). “I additionally suppose that it’s change into blatantly apparent to the American public that we’re within the midst of the privatization of Social Safety. We now have put ahead a plan, the plan may be very particular and direct. We see no plan, we’ve had no listening to from our colleagues on the opposite aspect.”
“At a time when SSA is reeling from DOGE staffing cuts that resulted within the lack of 1000’s of staff, Mr. Bisignano supplied no indications that he’ll prioritize or that he even understands what Social Safety beneficiaries really want in terms of customer support,” stated Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance. “There isn’t a substitute for expertise and human interplay in terms of guaranteeing that older and disabled Individuals get the advantages they’ve earned. We’ll proceed to work with Congressman Larson on this and different points pertaining to Social Safety and the SSA.”
