Overview

• On August 14, President Trump signed a proclamation designating the Social Security Act’s 90th anniversary and joined Commissioner Frank Bisignano in promoting a shift to digital-first service and shorter wait times.
• The SSA confirmed it updated records for about 275,000 individuals no longer holding legal status, a fraud-prevention effort that critics say lacks detail on how ineligible entries were identified.
• Official agency data credited new phone systems and online tools with cutting average hold times from roughly 30 minutes to single digits and reducing field-office waits by about 30 percent.
• Reporting shows the agency lost over 7,000 employees this year, leaving some field offices with nearly 20 percent fewer staff and heightening concerns over backlogs and customer access.
• Analysts caution that the $6,000 senior tax deduction in the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” and other recent measures will modestly accelerate the projected 2034 trust-fund depletion unless Congress acts.