WASHINGTON, D.C. — Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano will testify before the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday. Bisignano plans to present agency data regarding reduced customer service wait times, improved technology, and increased service capacity.
Bisignano reported that the agency reduced phone wait times by 75 percent under his leadership, according to a letter to lawmakers. He also reported that the agency increased the number of clients it served by 50 percent and resolved previous technical website problems. Bisignano criticized his predecessor for requiring appointments for field office visits.
Approximately 2,000 agency employees were reassigned to direct-service positions last year. In a semiannual congressional report, an agency Inspector General identified continuing administrative errors in benefit and claims processing. The same report documented improvements in telephone service and technology implementation for disability claims.
Bisignano said, "We will meet clients where they want to be met. You want to call us on a phone, we'll have technology on the phone, or you can talk to somebody on the phone." He stated that the agency has not closed any field offices. The agency reduced its workforce by 7,000 employees at the beginning of the Trump administration.
The American Federation of Government Employees Council 220 identified multiple agency field offices with insufficient staffing. These locations include offices in Ironwood, Michigan; Decorah, Iowa; Havre, Montana; Big Spring, Texas; Sheridan, Wyoming; Glasgow, Montana; Pierre, South Dakota; Cedar City, Utah; and Cody, Wyoming.
No independent assessment of Frank Bisignano’s claims was available.