BALTIMORE, MD — The Social Security Administration is touting what it describes as one of the most dramatic operational turnarounds in years, reporting major gains in customer service, backlog reduction, and online access as Fiscal Year 2025 comes to a close.
In an end-of-year letter to Congress, SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano detailed sweeping improvements across the agency — progress he credited to accelerated reforms, new technology, and a renewed push to modernize the way millions of Americans interact with Social Security.
“SSA’s mission remains vital as ever,” Bisignano wrote. “With continued support from Congress, we will build upon recent progress, modernize the way we serve the public, and ensure that our programs and services remain a source of stability for generations to come.” He also expressed gratitude to President Trump for the opportunity to lead the agency.
At the top of SSA’s achievements is the early completion of payments under the Social Security Fairness Act. Bisignano said the agency delivered more than 3.1 million payments — totaling over $17 billion — five months ahead of schedule.
The commissioner described a sweeping overhaul of SSA’s online portal, noting that when he took office in May, the “my Social Security” system experienced 29 hours of scheduled downtime each week, leaving Americans without full-time access to their benefit information. By summer’s end, he said, SSA had implemented changes allowing 24/7 online availability. The improvements contributed to a nearly 20% surge in online transactions compared to last year.
Call center performance also saw substantial gains. Average wait times dropped from 28 minutes in FY 2024 to 15 minutes in FY 2025, despite SSA serving 65% more callers. Nearly 90% of calls are now resolved via self-service or through scheduled callbacks — a shift Bisignano said reflects modern expectations for both public and private services.
Inside field offices, wait times have dropped sharply as well. The agency reports a 27% reduction in overall in-office waits, now averaging 22 minutes compared to 30 minutes last year. Visitors with scheduled appointments waited just six minutes on average. SSA attributes much of this to new phone systems that allow roughly 30% of calls to be handled instantly through automated technology, freeing staff to assist customers who need in-person help.
One of the most significant improvements came in disability claims processing — historically one of SSA’s most strained areas. Bisignano reported that the backlog, which hit an all-time high in June 2024 with more than 1.26 million pending claims, has dropped by more than 25% to 865,000 — the lowest level since 2022. The average processing time for initial disability claims has fallen from 240 days in January to 209 days, a 13% improvement. Disability hearing backlogs also remain at historic lows, with wait times reduced by nearly two months compared to last year.
According to SSA, these gains are part of a broader push to make the agency more accessible, more efficient, and more responsive after years of operational strain, resource shortfalls, and pandemic-related disruptions.
Additional information on SSA’s performance updates is available at www.ssa.gov/ssa-performance.
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