Latest news with #Bisignano


The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Warren wants answers from Social Security chief on phone wait times
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is asking Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank Bisignano to provide additional information about the wait times for phone calls, amid reports of discrepancies in data. In a letter sent Sunday evening to Bisignano, provided exclusively to The Hill, Warren followed up on her meeting with the SSA chief last Wednesday, when, the senator said, she secured a commitment from Bisignano 'that SSA would undergo a public audit by the Inspector General regarding your phone call wait time data reporting and that you would publish additional wait time data.' A June survey from Warren's staff found that wait times averaged nearly an hour and 45 minutes, with maximum wait times lasting longer than three hours, according to the senator. 'But the SSA is failing to provide policymakers and the public with accurate information about the extent of the problem, using convoluted calculations to obfuscate the real data, or withholding information entirely,' she wrote in her letter. Warren said she has communicated with the inspector general about the audit and thanked the SSA chief for 'agreeing to a rigorous, independent, public audit.' The senator did not specify when the audit would take place. She asked Bisignano to provide data by Aug. 11, including on the total number of calls received; details about the calls taken by an artificial intelligence tool — including the percentage of calls dropped, transferred, or ended without resolving the issue; the same details about the calls taken by a human customer service representative. Warren expressed similar concerns about the circumstances that, she said, led the SSA to send out 'an inaccurate and overtly partisan email to the millions of 'my Social Security' users that purportedly described the 'Big Beautiful Bill.'' 'The email contained a number of falsehoods about the benefits of the bill, including an inaccurate statement that it 'eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security,'' Warren wrote in the letter.


Economic Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Social Security announces major shakeup affecting 70 million Americans: Will your benefits go up or down?
The SSA announced it has implemented new telephone technology on the national 800 number and in its field offices The Social Security Administration (SSA) is handling more calls with a faster response time, thanks to technology enhancements and process engineering. The SSA announced a major update to its technological advancements on Wednesday as part of its larger mission, led by new Commissioner Frank Bisignano, to modernize the agency, reports NewsWeek."Our vision is centered on providing outstanding service that works for everyone we serve—whether they call, walk into a field office, or choose to manage their benefits online," said Bisignano in a statement. "We are transforming the customer experience, investing in technology to build frontline capacity, and using real-time data to monitor performance across the board. We are delivering higher levels of customer service—and this will continue." ALSO READ: $1,390 Stimulus check in 2025: Do Americans need to pay tax on the amount and who needs to apply? Around 69 million people in the US receive Social Security payments each month and with President Trump returning to the White House, the SSA has been undergoing a period of restructuring. Thousands of employees no longer working for the agency due to the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) cost-saving to NewsWeek, the SSA announced it has implemented new telephone technology on the national 800 number and in its field offices. The SSA stated that this resulted "in improved service to the American people," according to its release. Specifically, the SSA is handling more calls with a faster response time. Last week, the agency handled nearly 1.3 million calls on the national 800 number, which was 70 percent more than the same week last fiscal year. The average speed of answer also dropped to 6 minutes from an average of 30 minutes last year- an 80% reduction. The administration also reported reducing the customer wait time in field offices to 23 minutes, a 23% reduction from the average of 30 minutes last year. ALSO READ: Extreme heat warning in 11 US states and record-high temperatures could be broken. Is yours on the list? Online service has also been improved through elimination of regular scheduled downtime of 29 hours a week. The agency reported that this allowed 125,000 more people to access their online accounts during the first week. The agency also eliminated its longstanding scheduled downtime of 29 hours a week for the my Social Security portal. In the first week alone, the SSA said 125,000 more customers were able to access their online accounts. Despite these improvements, some experts have sounded the alarm on the tech upgrades while the SSA faces a funding crisis projected to hit as early as the early 2030s. ALSO READ: Netflix's 'Building the Band' official winning group's name revealed. You won't believe the prize they received "This modernization is happening while Social Security faces its worst funding crisis in decades. The trustees in 2024 projected the program's combined retirement and disability trust funds may last until 2035," Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of told Newsweek."Think about that. The agency is investing millions in new technology while knowing it might only be able to pay 83 cents on the dollar in 10 years. It's like renovating the kitchen while the house is on fire."Under the Social Security Fairness Act, the SSA said it would be sending 3.1 million payments to eligible recipients. which became law on January 5. Under the new law, the agency identified 2.8 million Social Security beneficiaries whose benefits were reduced because of the Windfall Elimination Provision or Government Pension Offset. Those included police officers, firefighters, teachers, and other public servants. The agency said it completed the task five months ahead of the estimated time of a year or more. ALSO READ: Was Elon Musk right? Trump caught in Jeffrey Epstein files' lie involving Pam Bondi SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said in a statement: "Our strategy is clear: serve customer needs quickly and completely, no matter how they contact us. We will continue to evaluate our tools, technology, and processes to empower our workforce to provide best-in-class customer service to the American people."The SSA also alerted recipients to another change heading their way in the fall. Starting September 30, the SSA will no longer issue paper checks for benefit payments.


Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Social Security announces major shakeup affecting 70 million Americans: Will your benefits go up or down?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is handling more calls with a faster response time, thanks to technology enhancements and process engineering. The SSA announced a major update to its technological advancements on Wednesday as part of its larger mission, led by new Commissioner Frank Bisignano, to modernize the agency, reports NewsWeek. "Our vision is centered on providing outstanding service that works for everyone we serve—whether they call, walk into a field office, or choose to manage their benefits online," said Bisignano in a statement. "We are transforming the customer experience, investing in technology to build frontline capacity, and using real-time data to monitor performance across the board. We are delivering higher levels of customer service—and this will continue." 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Thousands of employees no longer working for the agency due to the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) cost-saving initiatives. According to NewsWeek, the SSA announced it has implemented new telephone technology on the national 800 number and in its field offices. The SSA stated that this resulted "in improved service to the American people," according to its release. Live Events Specifically, the SSA is handling more calls with a faster response time. Last week, the agency handled nearly 1.3 million calls on the national 800 number, which was 70 percent more than the same week last fiscal year. The average speed of answer also dropped to 6 minutes from an average of 30 minutes last year- an 80% reduction. The administration also reported reducing the customer wait time in field offices to 23 minutes, a 23% reduction from the average of 30 minutes last year. ALSO READ: Extreme heat warning in 11 US states and record-high temperatures could be broken. Is yours on the list? Online service has also been improved through elimination of regular scheduled downtime of 29 hours a week. The agency reported that this allowed 125,000 more people to access their online accounts during the first week. The agency also eliminated its longstanding scheduled downtime of 29 hours a week for the my Social Security portal . In the first week alone, the SSA said 125,000 more customers were able to access their online accounts. SSA faces major funding crisis Despite these improvements, some experts have sounded the alarm on the tech upgrades while the SSA faces a funding crisis projected to hit as early as the early 2030s. ALSO READ: Netflix's 'Building the Band' official winning group's name revealed. You won't believe the prize they received "This modernization is happening while Social Security faces its worst funding crisis in decades. The trustees in 2024 projected the program's combined retirement and disability trust funds may last until 2035," Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of told Newsweek. "Think about that. The agency is investing millions in new technology while knowing it might only be able to pay 83 cents on the dollar in 10 years. It's like renovating the kitchen while the house is on fire." Under the Social Security Fairness Act, the SSA said it would be sending 3.1 million payments to eligible recipients. which became law on January 5. Under the new law, the agency identified 2.8 million Social Security beneficiaries whose benefits were reduced because of the Windfall Elimination Provision or Government Pension Offset. Those included police officers, firefighters, teachers, and other public servants. The agency said it completed the task five months ahead of the estimated time of a year or more. ALSO READ: Was Elon Musk right? Trump caught in Jeffrey Epstein files' lie involving Pam Bondi SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said in a statement: "Our strategy is clear: serve customer needs quickly and completely, no matter how they contact us. We will continue to evaluate our tools, technology, and processes to empower our workforce to provide best-in-class customer service to the American people." The SSA also alerted recipients to another change heading their way in the fall. Starting September 30, the SSA will no longer issue paper checks for benefit payments.


Newsweek
23-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Social Security Issues Update on Changes Impacting Recipients
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Social Security Administration announced a major update to its technological advancements on Wednesday as part of its larger mission, led by new Commissioner Frank Bisignano, to modernize the agency. "Our vision is centered on providing outstanding service that works for everyone we serve—whether they call, walk into a field office, or choose to manage their benefits online," said Bisignano in a statement. "We are transforming the customer experience, investing in technology to build frontline capacity, and using real-time data to monitor performance across the board. We are delivering higher levels of customer service—and this will continue." Newsweek reached out to the SSA via email for further comment. Why It Matters Approximately 69 million people receive Social Security payments each month. Since President Donald Trump took office again, the SSA has been undergoing a period of restructuring, with thousands of employees no longer working for the agency due to the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) cost-saving initiatives. What To Know In its announcement, the SSA said it had implemented new telephone technology on the national 800 number and in its field offices. The SSA stated that this resulted "in improved service to the American people," according to its release. Specifically, the SSA is handling more calls with a faster response time. Last week, the agency handled nearly 1.3 million calls on the national 800 number, which was 70 percent more than the same week last fiscal year. The average speed of answer also dropped to 6 minutes from an average of 30 minutes last year. Field office wait times are also down. While the average wait time was 30 minutes last year, now Americans are waiting just 23 minutes. A Social Security Administration (SSA) office in Washington, D.C. A Social Security Administration (SSA) office in Washington, D.C. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images The agency also eliminated its longstanding scheduled downtime of 29 hours a week for the my Social Security portal. In the first week alone, the SSA said 125,000 more customers were able to access their online accounts. Despite these improvements, some experts have sounded the alarm on the tech upgrades while the SSA faces a funding crisis projected to hit as early as the early 2030s. "This modernization is happening while Social Security faces its worst funding crisis in decades. The trustees in 2024 projected the program's combined retirement and disability trust funds may last until 2035," Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of told Newsweek. "Think about that. The agency is investing millions in new technology while knowing it might only be able to pay 83 cents on the dollar in 10 years. It's like renovating the kitchen while the house is on fire." In recent months, the SSA also said it would be sending 3.1 million payments to recipients eligible under the Social Security Fairness Act ahead of schedule. This law enabled public service workers, such as teachers and firefighters, to receive money they were owed but had previously been denied due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). The disability backlog has also decreased to 940,000 pending cases, down from more than 1.2 million cases last year, the SSA said. What People Are Saying SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said in a statement: "Our strategy is clear: serve customer needs quickly and completely, no matter how they contact us. We will continue to evaluate our tools, technology, and processes to empower our workforce to provide best-in-class customer service to the American people." Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of told Newsweek: "What beneficiaries need to understand is this: Every 'modernization' is really a cost-cutting measure disguised as improvement. Those electronic signatures and digital uploads? They're not about your convenience; they're about reducing the army of federal workers processing your paperwork. It just means more automated screening, more delays, and fewer real people to talk to when things go wrong." Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "For beneficiaries, it's a positive sign, as reports like this indicate it should be much quicker to get support over the phone or online. However, for the employees of the administration, this could further strain their workforce which is having to take on more tasks in an already heavy schedule. The hope is there can be a balance found in the long-term aspect where both sides can benefit from the new set-up." Drew Powers, the founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek: "All service types—internet, phone, and in-person have had tech and process updates to expand service hours and speed up response times. These updates are woefully overdue and welcomed by all seniors and their caretakers." What Happens Next The SSA also alerted recipients to another change heading their way in the fall. Starting September 30, the SSA will no longer issue paper checks for benefit payments.


Axios
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Scoop: Warren, Social Security chief to meet over agency concerns
Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano will huddle with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in Washington on Wednesday amid deep Democratic concerns about the agency's cuts to services, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Warren will have the chance to air grievances about everything from staffing cuts to phone wait times in a meeting that follows incessant pressure from Democrats on Capitol Hill. The progressive Democrat plans to question Bisignano about further staffing cuts and the potential privatization of Social Security, according to a Tuesday letter the senator sent to the agency head. Democrats for months have blared the alarm over how they say President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has disrupted Social Security services. The big picture: Protecting Social Security from cuts has become a key issue for Democrats, who want to punish Republicans for touching the "third rail" of American politics. The Social Security Administration has laid out plans to cut about 7,000 jobs, eliminating over a tenth of its workforce. Warren's office released a report last month that said Bisignano was misleading the public about wait times for calls, with data showing significant delays for most callers. "Donald Trump and DOGE got rid of too many Social Security staffers so wait times for help skyrocketed," Warren said on X earlier this month. Between the lines: Bisignano has tried to quell concerns about staffing cuts and wait times, telling lawmakers at his confirmation hearing that he wants to reduce wait times to under one minute.