Overview
- Internal planning documents reviewed by Nextgov/FCW set a fiscal 2026 cap of no more than 15 million field office visits, roughly half of the prior year.
- Commissioner Frank Bisignano is directing more interactions online, while telling Congress the agency is not getting rid of field offices.
- An SSA spokesperson told Newsweek field offices will remain the front line and said more customers are resolving needs online or by phone.
- Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden criticized the shift as likely to reduce access to benefits, with Warren also probing Bisignano’s past at Fiserv.
- Staffing pressures—about 7,000 jobs cut previously, a current shortfall of roughly 2,000 cited by AARP, and 1,000 employees reassigned to the national phone team—plus recurring website issues have raised concerns about longer waits and fewer options for those without reliable internet.