Washington– After complaints about Staff cuts and long waits To get help with Social Security AdministrationIts commissioner says he’s ready to make the case to Congress this week that things are much better at the beleaguered agency.
Frank Bisignano is expected to face pointed questions from lawmakers at a hearing about his agency Customer service performanceIts ability to pay Americans’ benefits, protect their privacy, and other questions about the inner workings of the Social Security Administration.
He plans to tout shorter wait times and other customer service measures before a House Ways and Means Committee hearing scheduled for Wednesday, and will criticize his predecessor for requesting appointments for field office visits, according to prepared testimony seen by The Associated Press.
In a letter sent to lawmakers before the hearing, Bisignano said the Social Security Administration reduced phone wait times by 75% under his leadership, fixed frustrating website issues, and served 50% more people.
“I’ve been very clear. We’ll meet clients where they want to be met. If you want to call us by phone, we’ll have a technology on the phone, or you can talk to someone on the phone. If you want to come into a field office, you can come by appointment or without an appointment,” Bisignano said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Critics argue that these gains are achieved through temporary shifts in staffing, increased reliance on online services, and workforce reductions that have created long-term service risks, shifting bottlenecks rather than solving staffing problems.
Bisignano rejects these criticisms. “People boo at Yankee Stadium, even when they win,” he said.
Bisignano took over the agency after a series of chaotic customer service changes, leadership exits, and false claims by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk — who ran the Department of Government Efficiency’s cost-cutting program — that Millions of dead people were receiving benefits.
Social Security Administration Laying off 7,000 workers At the beginning of the Trump administration. Nearly 2,000 employees were reassigned last year to direct service positions, including employees whose jobs don’t typically involve answering calls.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Inspector General, its internal oversight body, identified persistent errors in benefits administration and claims processing. But Latest semiannual report to Congress It also shows that the agency has made significant progress in improving telephone service and deploying technology to speed up the processing of disability claims.
The union representing SSA employees and field office workers says some offices are experiencing severe staffing shortages. This includes Ironwood, Michigan; Decorah, Iowa; Havre, Montana; Big Spring, Texas; Sheridan, Wyoming; Glasgow, Montana; Pierre, South Dakota; Cedar City, Utah; and Cody, Wyoming, according to the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220.
But Bisignano said no field offices have been closed and noted that the agency is committed to meeting clients where they prefer.
“What I’m trying to accomplish is to find a better way for the American people to interact with the Social Security Administration,” Bisignano said.
Bisignano also serves as CEO of the IRS, a role created by the Trump administration. In response to a question about the new tax audit immunity deal for Trump and his family that was part of the controversial settlement that was worked out to solve the Trump problem. $10 billion lawsuit against the IRSBisignano referred The Associated Press to Treasury Secretary Scott Besent Recent comments To a congressional committee, where he declined to comment on ongoing litigation.