Social Security Administration announces reduced phone, in-person wait times
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Facing criticism of its service, the Social Security Administration said on Wednesday that the wait times for customers who call its 800 number and or visit its field offices are down from last year.
Why it matters: The agency that handles retirement and disability benefits has been under fire over slower customer service, and has seen thousands of employees depart in the wake of DOGE incentives to leave.
- To help speed phone service, the Social Security Administration, or the SSA, has recently reassigned about 1,000 employees to handle calls.
Zoom in: The agency said in a press release that it is now "handling more calls with a faster response time."
- It handled nearly 1.3 million calls on the 800 number last week, per the release, or 70% more than the same week last fiscal year.
- It has reduced the average speed of answer to 6 minutes, down from an average of 18 minutes so far this year and 30 minutes last year, the SSA said.
- The SSA also said it reduced the wait time in field offices to 23 minutes from 30 minutes last year.
Yes, but: The wait time claims are difficult to assess, given that the agency has cut down on the historical data it now reports to the public, as the Washington Post recently reported.
- And it's not clear that the phone wait data takes into account the amount of time a caller spends waiting on the agency to call them back.
- That's a relatively new feature. Once you would call and get put on hold for a long time. Now, you have the option of pressing a button for a call back.
- "You're just waiting in a different way," says Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and Disability Policy at the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The other side: A Social Security spokesperson tells Axios that the agency's performance metrics are based on data compiled from the SSA, using traditional methodology.
Between the lines: The data release comes after Frank Bisignano took the reins of the agency in May. It appears to be part of a larger effort to quell the criticism over the White House's changes.
- There was widespread outcry earlier this year when the agency announced cuts to phone services. It ultimately backed off that plan in April.
