You’ve probably heard the claim by Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano that in July, callers had to wait only an average of 8 minutes to reach an agent on the phone. Sounds impressive, right? Well, if you’ve ever tried calling the Social Security toll-free line recently, you might be skeptical. Experts say that the number doesn’t truly reflect the experience most people face.
The “8-minute” claim
At a recent event marking Social Security’s 90th anniversary, Bisignano proudly said, “We had a bold goal of single-digit wait time on the calls when they were at 40 minutes. And we did that.” He credited the improvement to quickly shifting 1,000 workers to answer the national 800 number.
But here’s the catch: the average speed of answer metric includes not only the time someone waits on hold but also the time it takes for a callback to happen. Since around 74% of calls are handled via callbacks, the figure of 8 minutes can be misleading. People who stay on hold might wait much longer than that.
What experts are saying
Kathleen Romig, a Social Security policy expert, told CNN that the statistic “doesn’t reflect the reality of people who are calling.” She explained that when many callers select the quick callback option, it skews the numbers lower, making it look like phone service is faster than it really is.
The real numbers tell a different story: in July, the average hold time was 22 minutes, and the average callback time was 59 minutes. That’s a big improvement from April, when hold times averaged 77 minutes and callbacks took over two hours. Still, it’s far from the single-digit promise Bisignano celebrated.
Callers share their frustrations
Scotty Davis from Bangor, Maine, knows exactly how frustrating it can be. He applied online for retirement benefits in April and tried calling Social Security multiple times over several weeks. He spent roughly six hours on the phone, waiting 30 minutes or longer on several occasions. Even when he requested a callback, it never came.
“I have a life other than trying to get through to stupid Social Security,” he said, eventually going to his local field office. There, he was able to get help in just five minutes once he arrived early in the morning. Davis’ experience highlights how inconsistent the system can be—sometimes it works quickly, other times it’s a long, frustrating wait.
Long-standing challenges
Social Security has long struggled with customer service, especially on the toll-free line, which handles tens of millions of calls annually. Even the agency’s acting commissioner admitted earlier this year, “we suck on the telephone.”
Bisignano, who previously ran a payments processing firm, promised improvements, including the use of technology like artificial intelligence and encouraging more people to use online services. But he also quickly shifted staff from field offices to the call center, temporarily boosting the number of workers available to answer phones.
Workforce shortages and union concerns
Despite these changes, the improvements are not sustainable. Roughly 5,500 Social Security employees—nearly 10% of the workforce—have left this year amid reorganizations. Union leaders warn that pulling workers from field offices to staff the phone lines has left in-person services understaffed.
Jessica LaPointe, president of the American Federation of Government Employees’ Council 220, told CNN, “You’re not going to get to all of the calls timely. There are too many of them and too few of us.” Edwin Osorio, representing AFGE Local 3369 in New York, added that claims specialists who normally handle applications are now answering calls instead, which has slowed other services.
The bottom line
While Social Security has made some strides in reducing wait times, the average speed of answer metric doesn’t reflect the actual experience of most callers. Realistically, many people still wait tens of minutes—or even hours—to get help. Meanwhile, lack of real-time hold-time data on the agency’s website makes it hard for the public to know what to expect.
If you need to reach Social Security, the safest bet is to call early, request a callback if possible, and consider visiting your local office. Just like Scotty Davis discovered, sometimes showing up in person is the fastest way to get answers.
Social Security’s phone woes are not new, and while staffing shifts can temporarily improve statistics, experts warn that meaningful long-term fixes will require more sustained staffing, better technology, and transparent reporting for the millions of Americans who rely on these services every year.
