Americans relying on Social Security may face delays updating personal information or resolving payment issues in the coming weeks, as the agency shifts its focus to clearing nearly 900,000 complex benefit cases by hand.
What’s causing the delays?
In late May, the Social Security Administration (SSA) directed employees at its eight national processing centers to prioritize cases tied to the Social Security Fairness Act. The change affects how workers allocate their time, leaving many unable to assist with routine updates like:
- Direct deposit changes
- Medicaid billing issues
- Overpayment reviews
- Monthly payment corrections
Several SSA employees told USA TODAY that their managers verbally relayed instructions to work only on new claims, appeals, or Fairness Act-related issues through July 1. Staff were also offered weekend overtime to speed up processing of these cases.
What is the Social Security Fairness Act?
Signed into law earlier this year, the Social Security Fairness Act aims to increase benefits for public employees such as teachers and postal workers. These individuals often paid into Social Security during off-season or part-time jobs but did not receive full credit under previous laws.
The SSA originally aimed to process all 3.2 million Fairness Act claims by November. Automation has helped clear over 2.3 million cases so far. However, approximately 900,000 complex claims require manual handling.
Why it matters
While the White House insists other services won’t suffer, workers inside the agency are sounding the alarm. SSA staff report growing backlogs and warn that delays in routine matters could disrupt benefit checks for thousands of Americans.
An East Coast processing center employee shared internal messages showing they’ve been told not to assist with any issue unless it relates to a new claim, an appeal, or a Fairness Act case.
“Until our workload focus is lifted,” one such directive read, “we cannot help with other issues.”
Staffing, tech troubles add to pressure
The push to resolve Fairness Act claims comes amid months of turbulence within the agency:
- Hundreds of workers accepted early retirement offers
- Interim leadership made abrupt policy changes
- Website outages disrupted service
- Phone and appointment wait times have increased
New SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano has pledged to finish the Fairness Act work “while the weather is warm,” indicating a July target.
Employees say they’re overwhelmed
SSA workers are reportedly fielding frustrated calls from beneficiaries they cannot help. “I’m getting yelled at all day,” one employee said. Another shared they’ve shifted from resolving payment issues and Medicaid disputes to solely processing Fairness Act cases.
Some employees accepted overtime pay to work weekends, but many say it’s not enough to keep other essential services running smoothly.
What happens next
The SSA plans to resume normal workflows starting July 1, according to internal communications. Until then, many routine service requests will remain on hold.
Officials emphasize that completing the Fairness Act claims quickly and accurately is a top priority—but for millions relying on Social Security, even short-term delays can be disruptive.