In a move that was not publicly announced, the Social Security Administration has stopped reporting the 1-800 number’s current call wait time and numerous other important performance metrics. The change was brought to light by reporting from The Washington Post. Instead of the previous reporting, SSA now only offers a limited picture of the agency’s customer service record—a move that does not allow for the tracking of historical data over time. SSA’s new reporting places a clear emphasis on online applications and automated phone services.
SSA’s decision to not report important consumer data may seem like just a bureaucratic detail, but it is quite important. Earlier this year, Social Security appeared to be tottering towards the abyss. As the Post reported in March:
The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk.
So, if you are a member of Congress who wants to exercise your constitutional right and duty to provide oversight of SSA, your job just got a whole lot more difficult. In theory, this important data, such as call waiting time, might be obtained through direct outreach to SSA and congressional testimony. However, all of this will take time and makes it much harder to monitor the agency.
In response to the Post’s reporting, an SSA spokesperson who declined to give their name said that as Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano “continues to evaluate the agency, we are updating our performance metrics to better reflect the real experiences of the people we serve and highlight the fastest ways our customers can get service. The agency will determine if additional information will be provided at a later date.”
It is also important to note that pushing people to an online platform or voice automation will hurt those who are not able to navigate the internet and disenfranchise those who do not have internet access.
If we were members of Congress, we would have to conclude that this was a most inadequate response, and the fact that a spokesperson declined to give their name is an extraordinary way of trying to avoid accountability. Members of Congress should immediately demand to know why SSA made the changes, and when information will be shared on how the agency is performing under these new metrics.
Underlying Congress’ response to the SSA’s hiding vital customer service statistics should be a sense of outrage. After all, Social Security’s funds are earned benefits. They belong not to the agency, but to the people who have earned them. These changes come at a time when Social Security retirement applications are up 13% in the current fiscal year, and more calls are coming into the agency to help with these key decisions.
It is also important to note that pushing people to an online platform or voice automation will hurt those who are not able to navigate the internet and disenfranchise those who do not have internet access.
One look at the new SSA page makes it abundantly clear that their goal is to drive people toward online and automated phone transactions with no customer interaction. The anonymous spokesperson said that Bisignano was trying to make SSA a “digital-first” agency. Providing Social Security beneficiaries digital or automatic phone options is important to improve efficiency and match preferences. However, Social Security beneficiaries have the right to call SSA and speak with a person about their benefits. Hiding vital performance metrics will allow SSA to make it more difficult for people to receive the customer service they deserve from their Social Security offices.
SSA’s hiding of vital consumer data eloquently demonstrates that while Elon Musk may have left Washington, D.C., his management philosophy is alive and well at SSA.
