Social Security says it made 3 big changes to make it easier to get benefits — but insiders warn of hidden problems
Social Security keeps around 22 million adults and children in the United States from falling below the poverty line. This includes around 16.3 million adults aged 65 and over.
The entitlement program provides those Americans with reliable, guaranteed income to cover their vital living expenses. And the recipients who rely on Social Security count on the system and its processes depend on the system running efficiently and effectively.
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Recently, the Social Security Administration announced it has made major improvements designed to make it easier for Americans to access their benefits. The SSA’s news release indicated that its recent changes had resulted in the “Best Performance in Agency History.”
However, insiders and experts have questions — especially about whether it could put some beneficiaries at risk.
Social Security makes major changes to make collecting benefits easier
According to the Social Security Administration, the major changes it has made include:
Substantially reducing wait times: The SSA reports it improved wait times across the board, both for those calling the 800 number and those who visit a local office. Calls to the 800 number are now answered in an average of 5.6 minutes and average wait times in local offices have been reduced by more than 30%.
Made it easier to accomplish tasks online: Moving tasks online has been a major goal for the SSA in recent years. According to the release, there are now 20% more people with mySocialSecurity accounts (Social Security’s online accounts) than in 2024, with almost 105 million people registered. The website was also made more accessible with the elimination of 29 hours of weekly downtime. These changes, coupled with the push toward online adoption, resulted in 30% more transactions being completed online last year compared to 2024.
Shortened the benefit claim process: The process of making an initial disability claim has reportedly become much faster and more efficient, with processing time dropping by 40 days or 17% compared to 2024. The initial disability claims backlog also saw a 23% reduction. While there were almost 1.2 million claims pending at the end of 2024, this had dropped to 911,000 by the end of FY 2026.
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Insiders and experts say there are serious problems
While Social Security’s numbers sound great, Federal News Network reports that the American Federation of Government Employees is sounding the alarm on underlying problems with the system. This union for federal workers represents over 35,000 SSA employees.
The union says:
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The data does not seem reliable given what employees are seeing inside the agency
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There are fewer qualified workers thanks to DOGE-related terminations (the union described this as the staff being “stripped to the bone.”)
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Around 2,000 workers have been diverted to answering phone calls instead of processing claims or managing in-person appointments in field offices. Those answering phones may do so quickly, but they don’t always have the right information to help
The Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration also released a report on 2025 operations, highlighting issues including aging digital infrastructure, while the ACSI® Federal Government Study 2026 revealed a decline in citizen satisfaction with the government, including a 3% reduction in call center satisfaction.
The “digital-first” push, which may be driving efficiency, also has some experts worried about its impact on older Americans who may not always be adept at technology.
“I think it’s great that Social Security is embracing technology; however, it comes with the risk of leaving some of our most vulnerable citizens behind if we don’t also provide alternatives,” Christina Bremner, founder of Purple Door Finders, an online database of senior living facilities, told Moneywise.
“We can’t forget that millions of seniors struggle with technology and lack access to internet devices,” Bremner said. “They may have vision or hearing impairments, or experience cognitive decline.
“Remembering a password, verifying identity, and navigating a government website could be extremely overwhelming. Digital convenience for the government should not come at the expense of accessibility, especially for those who depend on Social Security as their primary source of income.”
Jennifer Szakaly, founder and CEO of Caregiving Corner, also agreed about the impact of the digital-first transaction on older adults who may not have a high comfort level with technology.
“Many seniors are perfectly capable of managing their own affairs but struggle with online accounts, passwords, verification codes and websites that aren’t always easy to navigate. Even making an appointment online can be intimidating,” she told Moneywise.
Szakaly also pointed out another serious potential issue: scams. Older adults are already common targets for scammers who pretend to be from Social Security and other government agencies. This problem has only gotten worse in the age of AI.
“Someone who is confused about a new online process may be more likely to trust a fake email, text message or website that appears to come from Social Security,” says Szakaly.
More than ever, it’s important older Americans exercise caution online. The FBI has several tips to help protect yourself online. But when in doubt, it’s never a bad idea to try to get an agent on the phone to confirm you’re not dealing with a scam.
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This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: Social Security says it made 3 big changes to make it easier to get benefits — but insiders warn of hidden problems
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