Audit Report
Customer Wait Times in the
Social Security Administration’s
Field Offices and Card Centers
152307 May 2024
MEMORANDUM
Date:
May 17, 2024
Refer to:
152307
To:
Martin O’Malley
Commissioner
From:
Gail S. Ennis
Inspector General
Subject:
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security Administration’s Field Offices and Card Centers
The attached final report presents the results of the Office of Audit’s review. The objectives
were to observe customer wait times in select Social Security Administration field offices and
Social Security Card Centers. In addition, we determined the (1) factors that may affect
customer wait times and (2) steps
SSA took to reduce wait times.
Please provide within 60 days a corrective action plan that addresses each recommendation. If
you wish to discuss the final report, please call me or have your staff contact
Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit.
Attachment
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security
Administration’s Field Offices and Card Centers
152307
May 2024 Office of Audit Report Summary
Objectives
Our objective was to observe
customer wait times in select Social
Security Administration (SSA) field
offices (FO) and Social Security Card
Centers (SSCC). In addition,
we determined the (1) factors that may
affect customer wait times and
(2) steps SSA took to reduce wait
times.
Background
SSA administers its programs and
operations through a network of over
1,200 FOs that serve the public.
FOs are SSA’s primary point of
face-to-face contact with the public.
On March 17, 2020, in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, SSA began
limiting in-person services in FOs and
requiring appointments for limited
services. SSA redirected the majority
of customers to online and telephone
service channels.
On April 7, 2022, SSA restored
in-person services in its FOs and
SSCCs. Media outlets began
reporting that some office visitors were
waiting outside for several hours.
In February and March 2023,
we visited 76 FOs and SSCCs.
During these visits, we observed
customer wait times and interviewed
office management regarding best
practices for reducing customer wait
times. We also interviewed SSA staff
to determine Agency initiatives to
enhance the customer experience and
reduce wait times.
Results
During our office visits, we observed the wait times of customers
thr
oughout their visit for services. For the 76 FOs and SSCCs we
visited, we observed the average wait time for customers before
check-in ranged from 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the method of
check-in. The check-in method(s) used varied, based on
management’s discretion. Once checked in, customers waited an
average of 32 to 45 minutes to receive services. We do not assert,
and the reader should not infer, that our observations during our
visits represent all SSA offices.
We noted five factors that may affect customer wait times: number
of customers; the check-in process; staffing; appointments; and the
availability of telephone and online services.
SSA has implemented, or is implementing, initiatives aimed at
reducing customer wait times in its offices, including: mobile
check-in, installing new and updated self-check-in kiosks, and the
availability to upload documents remotely. While SSA has
developed many initiatives, it has not developed processes to
measure the effectiveness of reducing customer wait times in its
offices.
SSA did not set goals specific to wait times for customers in the
office or the time customers must wait for scheduled appointments.
Without goals, we believe there is a risk of SSA customers
experiencing prolonged wait times in receiving service when
visiting offices or through scheduled appointments.
Recommendations
We recommend SSA:
1.
Develop and/or enhance systems to capture data that
measure the effectiveness of initiatives to reduce customer
wait times.
2. Develop goals specific to wait times for customers in the office
and time customers wait for scheduled appointments.
SSA agreed with Recommendation 1 and partially agreed with
Recommendation 2.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Objectives ................................................................................................................................... 1
Background ................................................................................................................................. 1
Scope and Methodology ............................................................................................................. 4
Results of Review ....................................................................................................................... 4
Wait Times We Observed...................................................................................................... 4
Factors that May Affect Customer Wait Times ....................................................................... 5
Number of Customers ..................................................................................................... 5
Check-in Process ............................................................................................................ 6
Staffing ............................................................................................................................ 7
Appointments ................................................................................................................ 10
Availability of Telephone and Online Services ............................................................... 12
Agency Actions Aimed at Reducing Wait Times .................................................................. 13
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 15
Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 15
Agency Comments and the Office of the Inspector General Response ..................................... 16
– Scope and Methodology .................................................................................. A-1
– Congressional Letter ........................................................................................ B-1
– Response to Congressional Letter ................................................................... C-1
– Agency Comments........................................................................................... D-1
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307)
ABBREVIATIONS
OIG Office of the Inspector General
CSR Customer Service Record
FO Field Office
FY Fiscal Year
POMS Program Operations Manual System
Pub. L. No. Public Law Number
SSA Social Security Administration
SSCC Social Security Card Center
SSN Social Security Number
VIPr Visitor Intake Process Re-write
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 1
OBJECTIVES
Our objective was to observe customer wait times in select Social Security Administration (SSA)
field offices (FO) and Social Security Card Centers (SSCC). In addition, we determined the
(1) factors that may affect customer wait times and (2) steps SSA took to reduce wait times.
BACKGROUND
SSA administers its programs and operations through a network of over 1,200 FOs and
7 SSCCs in 10 regions that serve the public throughout the United States and its territories.
1
FOs and SSCCs are SSA’s primary point of face-to-face contact with the public.
2
On March 17, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, SSA began limiting in-person
services in FOs and SSCCs and requiring appointments for limited services. SSA redirected
the majority of customers to its online and telephone service channels. SSA restricted in-person
interviews to dire need situations, including, but not limited to:
• certain applications for original and replacement Social Security number (SSN) cards;
3
• immediate payments; and
• certain situations to resolve erroneous deaths.
On April 7, 2022, SSA restored in-person services in its FOs and SSCCs, including those for
people who do not have appointments. Once SSA re-opened for in-person services,
media outlets began reporting that some customers were waiting several hours outside of office
lobbies. In August 2022, SSA responded to the Committee on Ways and Means’ letter
regarding information on the steps it had taken to reduce wait times, how offices responded to
extreme weather, and COVID-19 safety protocols.
4
1
SSCCs process enumeration services for a geographical area. Any applicant who resides within the geographical
area served by an SSCC transacts all SSN business with the card center rather than a FO.
2
SSA also serves its customers via mail, telephone, and the internet.
3
This included applications for individuals who were age 12 or older and applying for their first SSN card and those
who needed to update or correct their SSN information to obtain income, resources, or medical care or coverage,
or other services or benefits.
4
See Appendix B and Appendix C for the congressional letter and SSA’s response, respectively.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 2
Figure 1 shows the total number of in-office customers with and without appointments in Fiscal
Years (FY) 2019 through 2023. Figure 2 shows the average wait time for customers with and
without appointments, while Figure 3 shows the number of customers with wait times longer
than 1 hour for FYs 2019 through 2023. In FY 2023, SSA’s data showed 11 percent of
customers waited longer than 1 hour to be served.
5
Figure 1: Total In-office Customers with and Without In-office Appointments—
FYs 2019 Through 2023
6
Note: Between March 2020 and April 2022, SSA provided limited in-person services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
5
We calculated the percentage by dividing total customers who waited over an hour by the total number of
customers; see Figure 1 and Figure 3.
6
Source: SSA’s Customer Service Record (CSR) data. We did not audit and therefore do not express an opinion
about the accuracy and completeness of these data.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 3
Figure 2: Average Customer Wait Times—FYs 2019 Through 2023
7
(Note: Between March 2020 and April 2022, SSA provided limited in-person services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Figure 3: Customers with Wait Times Longer than 1 Hour—FYs 2019 Through 2023
8
Note: Between March 2020 and April 2022, SSA provided limited in-person services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
7
Source: SSA’s CSR data. We did not audit, and therefore do not express an opinion about, the accuracy and
completeness of these data.
8
Source: SSA’s CSR data. We did not audit, and therefore do not express an opinion about, the accuracy and
completeness of these data.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 4
SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
In February and March 2023, we visited 76 FOs and SSCCs in SSA’s 10 regions. We observed
customer wait times and interviewed office management regarding best practices for reducing
customer wait times. We also interviewed SSA staff to determine Agency initiatives to enhance
the customer experience and reduce wait times. (See Appendix A for information on our scope
and methodology.)
RESULTS OF REVIEW
During our office visits, we observed the wait times of customers throughout their visit for
services. We noted five factors that may affect customer wait times: number of customers; the
check-in process; staffing; appointments; and the availability of telephone and online services.
SSA has implemented, or is implementing, many initiatives to reduced customer wait times in its
offices, including: mobile check-in, installing new and updated self-check-in kiosks, and
providing the ability to upload documents remotely.
Wait Times We Observed
During our visits to 76 offices, we interviewed 432 customers to determine the average time
elapsed from the moment they arrived at the office to when SSA provided service.
We observed customers at various points throughout the day. The check-in method(s) used in
the offices varied based on management’s discretion.
The average time the customers waited before being checked in ranged from 5 to 12 minutes,
depending on the method of check-in. Once checked in, the customers we observed waited an
average of 32 to 45 minutes to receive services; see Table 1.
Table 1: Average Wait Times for Customers We Observed During Our Visits
9
Method of
Check-In
Total
Customers
We Observed
Average Wait
Time Before
Being
Checked In
10
Average
Wait Time
for Service
After
Being
Checked
In
Total Average
Wait Time
Kiosk
285
7 minutes
32 minutes
39 minutes
Employee Assisted
44
12 minutes
41 minutes
53 minutes
Multiple Methods
11
103
5 minutes
45 minutes
50 minutes
9
Of the customers we interviewed, approximately 6 percent had scheduled appointments.
10
We began tracking wait time when the office opened.
11
Methods of check-in included batch ticketing (at office opening, SSA employees or guards pass out pre-printed
Visitor Intake Process Re-write [VIPr] tickets to customers waiting in line), hybrid process with employee assisted
check-in when the office first opened in the morning and kiosks used for the rest of the day, and mobile check-in.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 5
We do not assert, and the reader should not infer, that our observations during our visits
represent all SSA offices because we selected a portion of our offices based on non-random
factors.
12
Factors that May Affect Customer Wait Times
During our visits, we noted five factors that may affect customer wait times: number of
customers; the check-in process; staffing; appointments; and availability of telephone and online
services.
Number of Customers
SSA FOs and SSCCs generally open at 9:00 a.m. and close at 4:00 p.m. During our visits,
we observed the number of customers waiting outside before the offices opened ranged from a
low of 18 to a high of 150. Table 2 captures the office in each region with the highest number of
customers waiting outside of the office, before office opening.
Table 2: Customers Waiting Outside During Office Visits
Region
Number of Offices
We Visited
Highest Number of
Customers Waiting
Outside Before Office
Opened
13
Highest Number of
Customers Waiting
Outside After Office
Opened
14
Atlanta
11
100
10
Boston
5
30
0
Chicago
10
29
0
Dallas
7
119
0
Denver
5
25
5
Kansas City
5
24
0
New York
6
18
0
Philadelphia
7
46
15
San Francisco
8
106
82
Seattle
5
37
22
SSCCs
15
7
150
100
12
Refer to Appendix A for more information about how we selected the offices we visited.
13
Some offices allow customers into their lobby before the official opening time.
14
This is based on our second observations during the visits and occurred within 2 hours of opening.
15
The SSCCs in New York state open at 7:00 a.m.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 6
During our visits, most offices brought customers into their lobbies by 10:00 a.m.—1 hour after
opening. However, the number of customers waiting outside the office to check in remained
high at some offices.
16
For example, in the San Francisco Region, 1 office had 82 customers
waiting outside 1 hour after it opened, with an additional 45 customers waiting inside the lobby.
On the day of our visit, this office continued to have customers waiting outside until 4:00 p.m.
closing.
17
This office had tents available to provide shelter for those waiting outside during
adverse weather.
Check-in Process
SSA allows office managers to assess their office’s needs and determine the best method to
check customers in. Most customers who visit an FO or SSCC either use a self-check-in VIPr
kiosk or visit a service window to be checked in by an SSA employee.
18
The check-in process
varies by office, but most customers we observed checked themselves in using the VIPr kiosk.
During our 76 office visits, we observed the following during the offices’ business hours:
50 offices were using kiosks as the only method of check-in;
19
7 offices were using employee-assisted check-in; and
19 offices were using multiple methods to check-in customers.
20
SSA conducted a study in offices to compare self-check-in through the kiosk and the
employee-assisted check-in.
The Agency concluded employee-assisted check in primarily
reduced visit times for small to medium FOs but did not reduce visit times for medium to large
FOs.
21
16
Customers remained outside because of the lobby’s capacity limits.
17
Fifty-nine customers were waiting outside the office at 11:00 a.m., 47 at 12:00 p.m., 43 at 1:00 p.m., 31 at
2:00 p.m., and 20 at 3:00 p.m.
18
VIPr collects information about office visitors and appointments and provides management information for area,
regional, and national reports. SSA measures wait time as follows: a visitor’s wait time begins when they check into
VIPr and does not include time waiting in line to get to the VIPr kiosk; the wait time ends when the field office
employee calls the visitor for their first substantive interview.
19
Three offices had SSA employees assisting at the kiosks in the morning.
20
Methods of check-in included batch ticketing (at office opening, SSA employees or guards pass out pre-printed
VIPr tickets to customers waiting in line), hybrid process with employee assisted check-in when the office first opened
in the morning and kiosks used for the rest of the day, and mobile check-in.
21
Small FOs have 11 or fewer interviewers, medium FOs have 12 to 21 interviewers, and large FOs have 22 or more
interviewers.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 7
Per SSA, “. . . the evaluation also found [FOs] at the end of the business day, when volumes [of
customers] are low and offices are expediting customer service, [FOs] naturally switch from
Kiosk Self-check-in to Employee assisted check-in at the end of the business day, which
indicates that [FOs] see Employee assisted check-in as the more expeditious check-in method.”
In addition, per SSA, “. . . the employee assisted check-in method shortens customers’ visit
times in [FOs] across the nation as compared to Kiosk self-check-ins . . . [however, the] Kiosk
Self-check-in and Employee assisted check-in are primarily substitutes in the production of [FO]
wait times as opposed to being complements, which means that the two check-in methods are
replaceable with the other . . .”
22
Staffing
Number of Employees
SSA stated, in FY 2022, it experienced its lowest staffing levels in over 25 years.
23
Figure 4
shows the total number of FO and SSCC employees who were on duty at the end of FYs 2019
through 2023.
24
Figure 4: Total Employees in FOs and SSCCs as of September 30—
Years 2019 Through 2023
22
We did not evaluate SSA’s study and therefore do not express an opinion about the reasonableness of
SSA’s conclusions.
23
SSA, Agency Financial Report Fiscal Year 2022, p. 1 (November 2022).
24
Source: SSA’s Federal Personnel and Payroll System and transaction files data. We did not audit and therefore
do not express an opinion on the accuracy and completeness of, these data. This includes only new and separated
employees and does not include existing SSA employees who transferred into and out of FOs and SSCCs.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 8
Although FO and SSCC total staffing numbers remained relatively consistent in FYs 2019
through 2023, as shown in Figure 4, it does not reflect employee attrition and the challenges for
training new staff. SSA stated:
Staff attrition led to a loss of institutional knowledge across our agency, with
significant impact among our mission-critical occupations (MCO). Further, the
lack of knowledge transfer processes or practices limits our ability to mitigate
the impact of the loss of seasoned employees on available technical expertise.
Failure to retain and transfer institutional knowledge may result in increased
staff turnover and further loss of knowledge, translating into higher costs and
potential degradation of customer service.
25
Figure 5 shows the number of employees SSA hired and the number of employees who
separated from the Agency in FYs 2019 through 2023.
Figure 5: Number of FO and SSCC New Hires and Separated Employees
FYs 2019 Through 2023
Dur
ing our interviews with office management, we asked, “. . . are there enough staff to support
the number of customers coming into the office?” Approximately 70 percent of managers
answered no. SSA curtailed additional anticipated hiring in June 2023 when the Fiscal
Responsibility Act of 2023 was passed.
26
SSA decreased each of its components’ allocation of
employees because it did not want to hire employees whose salaries future budgets may not
support given that the Act limits non-Defense funding in FY 2024.
25
SSA, Human Capital Operating Plan Fiscal Years 2023-2026, p. 32 (September 2023).
26
Pub. L. No. 118-5, 137 Stat. 10 (2023).
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 9
According to SSA, it cannot offer its frontline employees some workplace flexibilities other
agencies can, such as expanded remote work. Employees who separate from SSA reported
they were leaving to take higher-paying jobs or because they felt overworked at SSA.
SSA stated it is “. . . consistently unable to compete with the workplace flexibilities of other
similar agencies (e.g., [the] Internal Revenue Service and [the Department of] Veterans Affairs)
effectively due to our direct service structure and the pay and flexibilities of the private sector.”
27
While SSA hired many new employees, it reported it still had challenges recruiting and retaining
employees because its positions are complex and require more training compared to similar
positions in private industry. SSA has taken steps to supplement its self-directed online training
through virtual and in-person training opportunities that bring new employees together through
virtual classrooms and in-person gatherings. Senior regional managers reported these sessions
have led to higher levels of engagement and a better sense of inclusion among the new
employees. In December 2023, we started an audit to review how SSA determines the staffing
levels it needs in its public-facing offices, which is still ongoing at the time of publication.
Portable and Non-portable Work
FO employees perform numerous tasks, such as, but not limited to: conducting telephone and
in-person interviews for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance claims and Supplemental
Security Income applications; developing cases for required evidence; and processing SSN
applications and post-entitlement actions, including redeterminations and wage reports. Some
work—such as conducting telephone interviews—is portable and can be performed remotely.
Other work, such as opening mail and interviewing in-person visitors, is not portable and
requires that employees be present in the office.
From March 2020 to April 2022, SSA FO and SSCC employees primarily performed their duties
from their homes. When SSA reopened its offices to provide in-person services in April 2022,
the Agency permitted FO and SSCC employees to continue teleworking up to 2 days per week.
While teleworking, employees conduct telephone appointments and address other portable
workloads. According to SSA, in FY 2019, FO staff completed approximately 2 million
telephone appointments, growing to 4.3 million in FY 2023.
Some managers informed us recalling teleworking employees to provide services to in-office
customers would disrupt the telephone appointment schedule and create a backlog for other
workloads. If an employee is physically working in the office, they may not be available to serve
in-office customers because they must serve customers who previously scheduled telephone
appointments.
For example, an FO employee working from home has telephone appointments scheduled
throughout the day to take disability claims. Between appointments, the employee works on
other portable assignments, such as inputting claims and workloads offices received through the
mail and employees uploaded into SSA’s workload management system. If the employee was
in the office, they would need to conduct their scheduled telephone appointments or
cancel/postpone the appointments to assist with in-office customers.
27
SSA, Human Capital Operating Plan Fiscal Years 2023-2026, p. 16 (September 2023).
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 10
Appointments
SSA encourages customers to use the Agency’s online and telephone services before they
schedule in-office appointments. Customers can make appointments to file initial Old-Age,
Survivors, and Disability Insurance claims and Supplemental Security Income applications.
Generally, these appointments are completed through telephone interviews. In-office
appointments for initial claims are generally reserved for people who face barriers.
28
SSA stated, “. . .we are employing new strategies to serve people visiting our offices as
efficiently as possible. We continue to encourage people to first go online for services and call
us, including to schedule an appointment, which prevents individuals from waiting in long lines
outside offices, reduces office wait times, and allows us to better serve everyone who requires
in-person service….” We asked in-office customers if they had an appointment and if not, did
they use online or telephone services before coming into the office. Some customer responses
included:
“[I] tried to call, but was told [I] could not make an appointment and to just come in.”
“[I] called but they said they didn’t take an appointment for [my] service.”
We inquired with SSA about the reason employees did not schedule appointments for
customers when they handled their calls. SSA stated, “appointments are not always
available in some offices, as field office calendars are often booked out the full 40 business
days that the system allows. Giving individuals an option to go into the field office without
an appointment will likely result in their business being handled on the same day.”
29
Figure 6 shows the number of completed in-office and telephone appointments. Figure 7 shows
the average elapsed days between request for an appointment and appointment dates for
FYs 2019 through 2023.
30
28
People facing barriers may include customers who do not have telephone or internet access, have language
barriers, have alleged homelessness, have alleged disability and is a child or diagnosed with a mental illness,
or require assistance filling out forms.
29
In addition, SSA stated appointment calendars—on average as of August 2023—were 21 days out for FOs,
meaning if a customer calls to request an appointment, generally the appointment will not be scheduled for at least
21 days. SSA also stated the average elapsed days between a request for appointment and the appointment was
32 days for FY 2023.
30
Source: SSA’s CSR data. We did not audit, and therefore do not express an opinion on the accuracy and
completeness of, these data. For purposes of this report, “telephone appointments” does not refer to any business
conducted by the representatives answering SSA’s 800 number, where staff are available during certain hours of the
day to answer inquiries from SSA beneficiaries and the general public. The 800-number also has an automated
telephone service component available 24 hours a day that provides limited services and informational messages on
certain subjects.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 11
Figure 6: Completed In-office and Telephone Appointments for FOs and SSCCs—
FYs 2019 to 2023
Figure 7: Average Elapsed Days Between Request for Appointment and Appointment—
FYs 2019 to 2023
31
31
Source: SSA’s CSR data. We did not audit, and therefore do not express an opinion on the accuracy and
completeness of, these data. From the data, we could not determine whether a customer selected SSA’s first
available appointment.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 12
SSA employees in teleservice centers, workload support units, and FOs use the enhanced
Leads and Appointment System to schedule appointments. If an offices’ appointment calendar
is full, SSA employees will note the customer’s request for an appointment as the protective
filing date.
32, 33
During our visits, multiple customers came into the offices to schedule appointments for later
dates. For example, on February 28, 2023, we interviewed a customer who called the Agency’s
national 800-number and was told to come into the office for their services. Once the customer
was seen by an SSA employee, they were given a telephone appointment for April 25, 2023 to
complete services. The customer did not receive their requested services for nearly 2 months.
We noted inconsistencies between offices when they scheduled appointments for customers.
For example, some offices scheduled their own in-person appointments as opposed to using the
800-number to schedule them. Other offices, such as SSCCs, do not offer in-person
appointments and are walk-in only. We also noted available appointments in enhanced Leads
and Appointment System can be up to 40 days from the date the appointment was requested.
Successfully scheduling an appointment affects the number of customers coming into the office
as well as office wait times.
Availability of Telephone and Online Services
Customers can transact business with SSA via the Agency’s telephone and online services.
When customers are unable or unwilling to obtain services online, over the telephone or through
the mail, they must visit SSA offices. This results in an increase in the number of customers
visiting the offices and potentially increases customer wait times.
We interviewed 460 customers and asked whether they attempted to complete their services
using SSA’s website, and/or calling the National 800-number or local field office.
34
Of the
460 customers, 150 (33 percent) responded they attempted to use these services before they
visited the offices. Some of the customers who visited the offices experienced issues accessing
online services or were told they had to go into the office to complete their services.
Office managers told us—depending on the office population, resource availability,
and awareness of online options—they believed from 5 to 90 percent of in-office customers
could have completed their services online instead of going into an office.
35
We asked office managers what the customers’ reasoning was for coming to the office instead
of going online or using the telephone services. The main reasons provided were convenience,
wanting to talk face-to-face with an employee, and a lack of awareness of online services.
Most issues occur when a customer tries to call to get information from the 800-number and are
told they cannot schedule an appointment or the wait time to speak to someone on the phone is
too long for the customer to wait, forcing them to visit an office.
32
A protective filing date is the date a customer first contacts SSA about filing for benefits.
33
SSA, POMS, GN 00204.010 (July 31, 2023).
34
28 customers were removed from our wait time calculation in Table 1 due to insufficient data collected.
For example, some customers checked in but left the office before receiving service.
35
Some examples of available online services include applying for retirement, requesting a replacement Social
Security card, and printing a benefit verification letter.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 13
We found inconsistencies in whether office telephone numbers were available to customers
through SSA’s office locator feature on its website.
36
The majority of offices we visited listed
SSA’s national 800 number in the locator; however, approximately 20 percent listed the
office’s direct business number.
SSA estimates 65 percent of its customers are unaware of available online services. SSA is
working to reduce this percentage through search engine marketing, public service
announcements, radio advertisements, television advertisements, media articles, blog posts,
and social media.
Agency Actions Aimed at Reducing Wait Times
In general, the majority of customers we interviewed did not have an appointment. To quickly
get customers into the lobby and checked-in for services, SSA implemented and encouraged
its employees to use the “express, schedule and refer” model. The model categorizes
customers by the types of services they are requesting, as follows:
Express: Interviews lasting no longer than 10 minutes will be completed at first contact.
Schedule: Initial claims and actions that require longer interviews will be scheduled as
appointments.
Refer: People facing barriers, or time-sensitive actions, will be referred to a technician for
assistance. Actions that directly impact benefits should be offered same-day or future-day
priority referrals.
SSA stated it has taken the following steps to improve the check-in process:
As of May 2022, all FOs can allow customers to use their mobile devices to check in to their
scheduled appointments. Per SSA, as of May 2022, SSA improved the "mobile appointment
check-in" process by reducing the number of check-in screens and eliminating the need for
a visitor to enter their personally identifiable information. This service is available for
appointments manually scheduled in the VIPr system or scheduled via the Enterprise
Scheduling System.
SSA began installing updated 508-compliant self-check-in kiosks in March 2023 and will
continue through early 2024.
As of July 5, 2023, all offices can allow all customers, whether they have an appointment or
not, to check-in via mobile devices through Quick Response Codes on signs in the offices.
SSA employees informed us, “. . . we don’t expect Mobile Check-in [to] have any direct
connection to reducing overall customer wait times, nor do we have any way to measure or
correlate the two.” As of February 24, 2024, Mobile Check-In Express increased
communication by advising the number of visitors ahead of them, sending a "heads up"
message when the visitor is close to being called.
36
SSA, Social Security Office Locator, secure.ssa.gov (November 2, 2023).
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 14
SSA is working toward “. . . designing a new prototype report that will accurately measure
the amount of time spent checking in, the total amount of time spent waiting to be called to
an interview, the total amount of time spent being interviewed by a technician, and the sum
average ‘experience’ at the field office.” SSA does not have a timeline for implementing this
initiative.
SSA stated it has taken the following actions to provide additional online services and decrease
the number of in-office customers.
As of February 2024, customers in 17 states could request replacement SSN cards online
because of last name changes due to marriage.
In July 2023, SSA implemented the Upload Documents initiative to offices in the Boston
region and a small group of pilot offices across the United States.
37
With the Upload
Documents initiative, a technician can send the customer an email containing a link to
upload the required documentation to the Upload Documents portal. SSA plans to expand
this initiative nationwide by March 2024.
As of December 2023, SSA released the Enterprise Scheduling System for enumeration
appointments to all states. Customers, teleservice center representatives, FO personnel,
and SSCC personnel use the system to schedule, reschedule, modify, or cancel
appointments. Per SSA, “the Enterprise Scheduling System communicates with [VIPr] and
supports delivery of electronic messages to visitors including appointment reminders and
check-in link.”
SSA is using video conferencing equipment to deliver services remotely to people who may
not have access to local offices, telephone, or the internet. Per SSA, it has over 900 video
conferencing units in both SSA and non-SSA sites that allow shared workloads between
offices, allow for customers visiting non-SSA sites (for example, Tribal and community
service locations) to complete services with SSA, and provide customers in remote areas
with additional access to SSA services.
38
,
39
37
The 17 states are: Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
38
The pilot offices were in the Boston region along with an additional 52 offices nationwide.
39
Executive Order 14058, Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in
Government, requires that SSA develop a mobile-accessible, online process so any individual applying for or
receiving services from SSA can upload forms, documentation, evidence, or correspondence associated with their
transaction without service-specific tools or traveling to an FO. To comply with the Executive Order, SSA created the
Upload Documents application, which allows customers to upload and submit certain forms, documentation,
and evidence to SSA online from their personal, desktop, and mobile devices.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 15
Per SSA, its “. . . [FY 2024] Budget invests in our frontline staff so that we provide timely help to
people who need our assistance. The Budget also invests in [information technology]
modernization to provide convenient digital and automated services so that many of our
customers do not need to visit a[n] [FO], as well as provide our employees user-friendly systems
and tools to perform their work. We are improving [customer experience] in our [FOs] by
providing options that will make visits to our field offices easier, such as an enhanced mobile
check-in application, expanding enumeration self-scheduling, and exploring additional self-
scheduling options.”
40
While SSA has developed many ongoing initiatives, it has not developed processes to measure
the effectiveness of reducing customer wait times in its offices; therefore, we were not able to
conclude whether initiatives were effective in reducing customer wait times or improving the
customer experience. We encourage SSA to continue implementing initiatives to reduce
customer wait times and improving the customer service experience.
CONCLUSION
One of SSA’s strategic goals is to optimize the experience of customers.
41
SSA plans to do this
by identifying and addressing barriers to accessing services, expanding digital services,
and building a customer-focused organization. However, SSA has not set goals specific to wait
times for customers in the office or the time customers must wait for scheduled appointments.
Without goals, we believe there is a risk that SSA customers will experience prolonged wait
times—when visiting offices or through scheduled appointments—before receiving service.
RECOMMENDATIONS
We recommend SSA:
1. Develop and/or enhance systems to capture data that measure the effectiveness of
initiatives to reduce customer wait times.
2. Develop goals specific to wait times for customers in the office and time customers wait for
scheduled appointments.
40
SSA, Justification of Estimate for Appropriations Committees Fiscal Year 2024, p. 25 (March 2023).
41
SSA, Agency Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2022-2026, pp. 9 through 14 (March 2022).
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) 16
AGENCY COMMENTS AND THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL RESPONSE
SSA agreed with Recommendation 1 and partially agreed with Recommendation 2. SSA
stated, “[q]uality customer service is a top priority for the agency and [it will] monitor wait time
data and address problem areas as needed. [SSA is] implementing initiatives, such as video as
a service, mobile check-in, and upload documents, to improve [its] customer service, including
reducing wait times.” See Appendix D for SSA’s comments.
42
We continue to believe SSA should develop goals specific to wait times for customers in the
office and time customers wait for scheduled appointments to better assist SSA in managing
wait times.
Mic
helle L. Anderson
Assistant Inspector General for Audit
42
We provided a draft of this report to SSA on March 7, 2024 and requested the Agency provide comments no later
than April 8, 2024. SSA provided their response on April 23, 2024. SSA requested the extension as it “…[required]
more time to finalize [its] response.”
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307)
APPENDICES
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) A-1
– SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
To accomplish our objectives, we:
reviewed applicable information from Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Program
Operations Manual System;
visited 69 field offices and 7 card centers;
We selected the offices based on: (1) SSA’s provided listing of offices that had at least
40 people waiting outside at 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (see Appendix C); (2) offices
selected as part of another audit;
1
and (3) a random sample of offices based on data
from SSA’s Visitor Intake Process Re-write (VIPr) system for the period April 7 through
October 3, 2022. To optimize our office selections, we added four field offices that had
geographic proximity to other selected offices. We conducted all visits during regular
business hours with no days of the week excluded.
interviewed members of management and customers from the 69 field offices and 7 card
centers;
observed the updated self-check-in kiosk; and
met with SSA employees to determine initiatives in place to enhance the customer
experience and reduce wait times.
The principal entity audited was the Office of Operations. We conducted our audit from
December 2022 through November 2023, including interviews and visits to offices throughout
the continental United States.
We assessed the significance of internal controls necessary to satisfy the audit objectives.
This included an assessment of the five internal controls components, including control
environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication,
and monitoring. In addition, we reviewed the principles of internal controls as associated with
the audit objective. We identified the following components and principles as significant to the
audit objective.
Component 1: Control Environment
Principle 2: Exercise oversight responsibility
Principle 3: Establish structure, responsibility, and authority
Component 2: Risk Assessment
Principle 9: Analyze and respond to change
1
SSA, OIG, Follow-up: The Social Security Administration’s Implementation of Mail Procedures, 042312 (January
2024).
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) A-2
Component 4: Information and Communications
Principle 14: Communicate internally
Principle 15: Communicate externally
Component 5: Monitoring
Principle 16: Perform monitoring activities
We conducted this performance audit in accordance with generally accepted government
auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions
based on our audit objectives. We believe the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis
for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objective.
We determined the reliability of the Agency's VIPr data by tracing a statistically random sample
of data to source documents. We determined the data were sufficiently reliable for the purposes
of this report.
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) B-1
– CONGRESSIONAL LETTER
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) B-2
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) C-1
– RESPONSE TO CONGRESSIONAL LETTER
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) C-2
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) C-3
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) C-4
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) C-5
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) C-6
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) C-7
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) C-8
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) C-9
Customer Wait Times in the Social Security’s Field Offices and Card Centers (152307) D-1
– AGENCY COMMENTS
SOCIAL SECURITY
MEMORANDUM
Date:
April 23, 2024 Refer To: TQA-1
To: Gail S. Ennis
Inspector General
From: Dustin Brown
Acting Chief of Staff
Subject: Office of the Inspector General Draft Report, “Customer Wait Times in the Social Security
Administration’s Field Offices and Card Centers” (152307) – INFORMATION
Thank you for the opportunity to review the draft report.
We agree with recommendation 1.
We partially agree with recommendation 2. Quality customer service is a top priority for the
agency and we monitor wait time data and address problem areas as needed. We are
implementing initiatives, such as video as a service, mobile check-in, and upload documents, to
improve our customer service, including reducing wait times.
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. You may direct staff inquiries to Trae
Sommer at (410) 965-9102.
Mission: The Social Security Office of the Inspector General (OIG) serves the
public through independent oversight of SSA’s programs and operations.
Report: Social Security-related scams and Social Security fraud, waste, abuse,
and mismanagement, at oig.ssa.gov/report.
Connect: OIG.SSA.GOV
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