SSA Modernization Raises Access Worries

Published Date : 7/31/2025 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is modernizing its customer service infrastructure to improve efficiency and reduce fraud. However, these changes have raised concerns about accessibility for vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and disabled. 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is navigating a contentious balancing act as it works to modernize its customer service infrastructure while ensuring accessibility for the millions of Americans who rely on traditional methods of communication with the agency.

Under the leadership of SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano, the agency recently unveiled technological and operational upgrades that it claims have led to faster response times and improved efficiency across phone, online, and in-person services. However, these developments are unfolding alongside a surge of backlash against SSA’s escalating reliance on online identity proofing tools for routine transactions. Changes critics warn could dramatically restrict access for vulnerable populations.

On the surface, SSA’s transformation narrative is optimistic. According to the agency, it has seen significant improvements across its core service channels. Its National 800 Number handles nearly 1.3 million calls per week, 70 percent more than the same period last fiscal year, while average wait times have dropped from 30 minutes to six. Field office wait times are also down, currently averaging 23 minutes, a 23 percent decrease from last year. Additionally, SSA says it has eliminated 29 hours of scheduled weekly downtime for its online “my Social Security” platform, enabling 125,000 additional users to access services in a single week. These enhancements are touted as part of Bisignano’s modernization strategy, which he describes as “meeting people where they are” while empowering the SSA workforce with real-time data and process automation.

But as SSA celebrates improved metrics, a growing chorus of advocates, legal experts, and policy analysts warn that its parallel push toward mandatory online identity verification, particularly through the agency’s Security Authentication PIN (SAP) system, threatens to alienate the very people the agency serves. In March and April, SSA rolled out a controversial new policy requiring individuals seeking to change their direct deposit information or to file certain benefit claims by phone to first verify their identity either online or in person. That change, which eliminated the longstanding option of phone-only authentication for direct deposit updates, was justified by SSA as a measure to curb fraud, which it claims costs the agency over $100 million annually.

Under this system, users must log into their “my Social Security” account – created via identity proofing through Login.gov or the private vendor ID.me – to obtain a one-time SAP code. The code is then provided to the SSA phone agent for verification via the internal Technician Experience Dashboard. If the code is incorrect or unavailable, callers are directed to either complete the transaction online or visit a field office. In July, SSA moved to expand this requirement to additional routine services conducted over the phone, including address changes, claims status inquiries, and requests for benefit verification letters or tax documents. The proposed expansion, submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on July 18, indicated that use of the SAP would be required starting August 18, prompting immediate alarm among civil rights organizations and elder advocacy groups.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) projected that the policy could force as many as 3.4 million additional people per year into field offices, many of whom are elderly, disabled, or live in rural areas where travel is difficult and internet access is limited. Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at CBPP and a former SSA staffer, challenged the agency’s rationale, noting that there is scant evidence suggesting fraud is a significant issue for the services being subjected to heightened identity checks. “For these tasks, there is nothing that I’m aware of that indicates these are significant fraud risks at all,” she told Nextgov/FCW. She argued that the burden imposed by the SAP process disproportionately affects those most in need: seniors, the disabled, and those without internet access or digital literacy.

Similarly, Michelle Spadafore, Senior Supervising Attorney and Director of the New York Legal Assistance Group’s Disability Advocacy Project, described the identity proofing process – which includes uploading government IDs and real-time selfie matches – as “beyond the capabilities of many recipients.” Spadafore’s concerns have been echoed by a growing number of SSA employees who anonymously told reporters that the changes could cripple already strained field offices. “They already took 1,000 customer service representatives nationwide to answer the phone. They are normally working at reception. Who would take care of all these people?” one employee asked. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) also entered the fray, penning a letter urging Bisignano to halt the expansion. “For many older Americans, the phone is how they access Social Security services without having to rely on complicated technology or long, difficult or costly trips to field offices,” the letter stated. The organization argued that limiting phone-based services effectively removes the primary channel of access for millions of Americans.

Amid the mounting backlash, SSA officials insisted that the SAP system is “entirely optional.” A spokesperson told FedScoop that beneficiaries who choose not to use the SAP feature will continue to have access to existing identity verification methods and will not be automatically redirected to field offices. Yet, SSA’s own filing with the OMB, which has not yet been amended, continues to describe the SAP requirement as a mandatory identity proofing step for many services. That discrepancy has fueled skepticism among both employees and watchdog groups, many of whom believe the policy is being implemented piecemeal without sufficient transparency or public comment.

The confusion surrounding SAP requirements is not SSA’s first policy misfire under the current administration. In March, the agency drew criticism for abruptly announcing it would eliminate the option to file claims over the phone, only to reverse course following widespread public and media outcry. SSA ultimately retained phone-based claims processing for disability and Medicare benefits, while requiring in-person or online verification for retirement and survivor claims. These policy whiplashes come during a period of severe internal strain at SSA. Since the start of the year, the agency has lost nearly 3,700 employees through voluntary separations and reassignment. Thousands of those employees previously worked in field offices, many of which are now short-staffed and under-resourced.

Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren have raised concerns that Bisignano’s deep ties to the Trump administration and DOGE could foreseeably lead to downsizing the SSA and erosion of services. Warren called for independent audits of SSA’s customer service metrics, questioning the agency’s credibility after dissolving 7,000 staff positions under Bisignano’s leadership. Notably, SSA’s inspector general found that the actual incidence of fraud in phone-based benefit claims remains negligible. In mid-May, out of more than 110,000 retirement claims processed via phone using new backend anti-fraud tools, only two were flagged as potentially fraudulent. Yet, even with this low fraud detection rate, SSA implemented a now-abandoned three-day hold on all phone claims, further delaying service for tens of thousands.

Despite all of this, SSA continues to promote its technological reforms as a net gain. In addition to the improvements in wait times and online access, the agency recently announced it had completed over $17 billion in payments under the Social Security Fairness Act five months ahead of schedule. The act, which became law in January, provided benefit corrections for over 3.1 million public servants affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset. SSA also reported progress on its disability claims backlog, with pending initial cases dropping by 25 percent from their peak and average processing times improving by five days. Disability hearings backlogs are also at historic lows, with wait times reduced by 60 days since June 2024.

For Commissioner Bisignano, these metrics are proof that SSA’s modernization plan is working. “Our strategy is clear: serve customer needs quickly and completely, no matter how they contact us,” he said in a recent statement. Still, for many advocates and SSA employees, the gains in speed and efficiency ring hollow if they come at the cost of accessibility, equity, and trust. As the August 18 identity proofing deadline looms, all eyes remain on the agency’s next move, and whether it will amend its filing to truly make SAP optional or allow it to quietly become the new default. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the main goal of SSA's modernization efforts?

A: The main goal of SSA's modernization efforts is to improve efficiency, reduce fraud, and enhance customer service through technological upgrades and operational changes.

Q: What are the key improvements SSA claims to have made?

A: SSA claims to have improved wait times, increased call handling capacity, and reduced scheduled downtime for its online platform, among other enhancements.

Q: What is the Security Authentication PIN (SAP) system?

A: The Security Authentication PIN (SAP) system is an online identity verification tool used by SSA to authenticate users for certain transactions, such as changing direct deposit information or filing benefit claims.

Q: Why are there concerns about the SAP system?

A: There are concerns that the SAP system may disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and disabled, who may have limited internet access or digital literacy.

Q: What is the projected impact of the SAP requirement on field offices?

A: The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) projects that the SAP requirement could force up to 3.4 million additional people per year into field offices, many of whom are elderly or disabled. 

More Related Topics :