Rep. Chu Demands Social Security Administration Restore Customer Service Performance Metrics Removed from Website

The Social Security Administration’s removal of key customer service metrics comes amid staffing cuts and widespread reports of longer wait times and delays at the agency

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep Judy Chu (CA-28) led 18 of her Ways & Means Committee colleagues in sending a letter to Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano expressing concern that his agency recently removed a number of customer service performance metrics from its website and urging the restoration of all metrics as soon as possible.

Until June 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) published and regularly updated on its website a variety of customer service metrics, including how long it would likely take for SSA to answer calls or process benefit applications. But early last month, SSA abruptly removed that comprehensive menu of data from its website and replaced it with a new page that provides more limited information on the agency’s performance. For example, it no longer includes the current callback wait time for SSA’s 1-800 number or any information on processing times for benefit claims.

The letter expresses concern that the new, limited menu not only fails to adequately assist beneficiaries as they interact with SSA, but also limits the public’s ability to monitor the agency’s performance—particularly amid the agency’s recent “reorganization,” which will result in about 7,000 staff cuts and even longer delays and wait times at SSA.

 “The agency’s removal of comprehensive customer service data calls into question whether this Administration seeks to hide from the public the negative customer service impacts of its staffing cuts,” the Members wrote.

“During your June 25th appearance before the Committee on Ways and Means, you testified that you want to improve customer service performance at the agency,” the Members continued. “While we appreciate this commitment, particularly after the significant damage done by the Trump Administration over the last several months, it will be difficult for the public to monitor whether you are making good on that goal going forward without the robust performance metrics your agency had previously reported to the public and regularly updated.”

The Members concluded: “The tens of millions of Americans who paid into and rely on Social Security deserve transparency regarding wait times at SSA and other customer service performance metrics. And taxpayers deserve to know whether you are keeping your promise to improve customer service going forward. We therefore urge you to restore to SSA’s performance webpage all the robust public data that the agency had previously reported prior to June 2025, including historical data, and to regularly update that data.”

This letter also follows Rep. Chu’s recent questioning of Commissioner Bisignano during a June 25, 2025 Ways and Means Committee hearing, where she pressed him to reinstate key performance metrics so Congress and the public could accurately evaluate the agency’s performance. Commissioner Bisignano repeatedly dodged the question until Rep. Chu’s time expired.

Click here to read the letter.