Additional Coverage:
- Social Security sets goal to cut office visits by 50% after laying off 7,000 workers (themirror.com)
Social Security Aims to Drastically Cut In-Person Visits, Sparking Concerns Over Office Closures
Washington D.C. – The Social Security Administration (SSA) is setting an ambitious goal to slash in-person office visits by 50% in the coming fiscal year, a move that could lead to the closure of numerous offices across the nation.
Commissioner Frank Bisignano announced in a year-end letter that call wait times have reached their lowest levels in recent years, with callers now waiting an average of just seven minutes. This marks a significant improvement from last year’s average speed of answer, which has dropped from 28 minutes to 15 minutes.
With these purported improvements in telephone assistance, the SSA is looking to reduce the number of individuals seeking in-person appointments in 2026. However, not everyone is convinced by the agency’s claims of enhanced service.
An internal field office operating plan from November, cited by the Associated Press, revealed the target of no more than 15 million field office visits in fiscal year 2026, a sharp decline from the 31.6 million visits recorded the previous year.
Barton Mackey, a spokesperson for Social Security, emphasized the continued importance of field offices. “Field offices are, and will always remain, our front-line, providing in-person services to the approximately 75 million Americans who receive monthly payments and more than 330 million Americans with Social Security numbers,” Mackey stated, reiterating the Commissioner’s previous comments.
Mackey also highlighted the agency’s progress under the current administration, saying, “The Social Security Administration under President Trump’s leadership is serving more Americans than ever before at quicker speeds, and meeting customers where they want to be served. Through technology improvements and modernization, more Americans are choosing to easily and quickly manage their benefits online or over the phone.”
However, this push for reduced in-person interaction comes amidst significant staffing reductions. At least 7,000 SSA employees have reportedly lost their jobs this year under the Trump administration. Multiple offices in rural areas have already shut down due to staffing shortages, with some now listed on the SSA website as offering only telephone services until further notice.
Are Social Security Call Times Truly Down?
While the SSA champions its reduced call wait times, these claims are facing skepticism from advocacy groups and other media outlets. Nancy Altman, president of the advocacy group Social Security Works, expressed her doubts to Kiplinger in August, calling the assertions “not credible,” especially “given how many experienced employees have been forced out and all the chaos the Trump administration has created.”
Adding to the controversy, The Washington Post reported in July, based on internal data, that wait times under the current administration are actually longer than during former President Joe Biden’s tenure. The Post stated, “For the last three full months of the Biden administration, callers waited an average of 75 minutes. For the first five months of the Trump administration, callers have waited an average of 93 minutes.”
This disparity in reported wait times raises questions about the feasibility and impact of the SSA’s plan to significantly reduce in-person visits, particularly for those who may struggle with online services or phone interactions.