Wait Times For Calls To Social Security Have Been A Problem. A Change Could Make Them Better—Or Worse

Core Insights - The Social Security Administration (SSA) has significantly reduced wait times for beneficiaries calling its national 800-number over the past two years, with further changes expected to impact service delivery [1][9] Group 1: Changes in Operations - Starting March 7, SSA will implement workflow management changes that allow employees to handle cases nationwide rather than just local claims, aiming to balance the workload among agents [2] - A new system will be introduced for beneficiaries to schedule in-person appointments, which is expected to enhance service efficiency and availability [3] Group 2: Impact on Employees - The transition may increase the complexity of work for SSA employees, who will need to learn various policies beyond local rules, potentially leading to a higher risk of mistakes [5] - A survey indicated that 84% of SSA employees reported worsening workloads in 2025, with many stating that service speed and quality had declined due to increased responsibilities [6] Group 3: Wait Time Improvements - The average wait time for the national 800 number was approximately 30 minutes in fiscal year 2024, which improved to an average of 14.6 minutes in fiscal year 2025, marking a 50% reduction [8][10] - The best improvement in wait times occurred in July 2025, with an average wait time of about 7.5 minutes after reallocating more agents to phone support [10] Group 4: Callback Option Insights - The average wait time includes callers who choose to hang up and receive a callback, which significantly reduces the average wait time for all callers [11] - For those opting for a callback, the average wait before receiving a call back was 111 minutes, while those who did not opt for a callback waited nearly an hour on average [12]