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For Immediate Release
Barton Mackey, Press Officer
press.office@ssa.gov
News Release SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security Celebrates 90 Years of Service to the American People
President Trump signs proclamation recognizing the enduring strength and importance of Social Security

Today, the Social Security Administration (SSA) proudly commemorates its 90th anniversary, marking its unwavering commitment to the financial security and dignity of millions of Americans. Since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law on August 14, 1935, the program has grown into one of the most successful and trusted institutions in American history. At a ceremony in the Oval Office today, President Trump signed a presidential proclamation reaffirming his commitment to protect Social Security and celebrating the customer service improvements that have occurred at the agency during his presidency.

“For 90 years, Social Security has stood as a promise kept, ensuring that older Americans, people with disabilities, and families facing loss have the support they need,” said Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano. “As we honor this legacy, we are also building a future where service is faster, smarter, and more accessible than ever before. Through President Trump’s vision, we are protecting and preserving Social Security by delivering extraordinary customer service through technological improvements and enhanced process engineering.”

President Donald J. Trump and SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano in the Oval Office as President Trump issues a presidential proclamation honoring the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act.

This year, 72 million beneficiaries will receive over $1.6 trillion in payments—making Social Security a lifeline for retired workers, survivors, and people with disabilities and a cornerstone of retirement security across generations.

Since his swearing-in on May 7, 2025, Commissioner Bisignano has led a bold digital-first transformation of SSA’s operations, guided by a vision to make the agency a premier service organization. Within 100 days as Commissioner of the agency, he has led SSA to achieve significant improvements in service delivery for the American people:

  • Giving Americans 24/7 access to their personal my Social Security account, allowing more than half a million transactions to take place in the first three weeks, when previously the website was down 29 hours a week
  • Reducing average wait time on the National 800 Number from 30 minutes last year to single digits last month
  • Shortening field office wait times by 30%, and booking more appointments than ever before
  • Upgrading phone systems in all field offices, allowing for 30% of all calls to be handled instantaneously through technology
  • Enabling 90% of calls to be resolved via self-service or convenient callbacks
  • Reducing the initial disability claims backlog by 26%, from 1.2 million to 940,000 cases
  • Decreasing disability hearing wait times by 60 days, reaching historic lows
  • Sending over 3.1 million payments totaling $17 billion to eligible beneficiaries five months ahead of schedule under the Social Security Fairness Act

Commissioner Bisignano’s modernization agenda emphasizes operational agility, data-driven performance, and a digital-first approach. His leadership has prioritized:

  • Integration of technology to streamline phone inquiries and reduce errors
  • Strengthening of data security following past breaches, with firm commitments to safeguard beneficiary information and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse
  • Workforce optimization to increase frontline capacity while maintaining service excellence

“Our strategy is clear: serve customer needs quickly and completely, no matter how they contact us,” said Commissioner Bisignano. “We are empowering our workforce and embracing innovation to ensure Social Security properly supports the American people and remains strong for the next 90 years.”

As SSA celebrates this milestone, it remains focused on its mission of delivering benefits accurately, efficiently, and timely. The agency continues to work with Congress, outside advocates, and the American public to strengthen Social Security, and deliver on President Trump’s mandate to protect and preserve for generations to come.

For more information about SSA’s communications, initiatives, and accomplishments, please visit the agency’s Communications Corner at ssa.gov/news.

To download the image of President Donald Trump and Commissioner Frank Bisignano in the Oval Office, visit: www.ssa.gov/agency/assets/images/SSA-90th-Anniversary-WH-Proclamation.avif.

For more Social Security news, follow the agency on X @SocialSecurity.