The Social Security Administration pushed back Tuesday against Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s claims that the agency has become less transparent and was covering up dysfunction under President Donald Trump, releasing a Sept. 16 letter and an accompanying data report that said performance and disclosure have improved.
In the letter and report, SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said Warren’s analysis was inaccurate and that the agency has made measurable gains in customer service and efficiency since August 2024. The documents were provided exclusively to Fox News Digital and reflect the agency’s position; the materials have not been independently verified.
Bisignano wrote that pending disability determinations fell from nearly 1.2 million in August 2024 to about 907,000 a year later. He said average processing time for disability claims sped up from 231 days to 217 days over the same period and that retirement and survivor claims were processed on time 87% of the time in August 2025. Overall, he said 81% of the agency’s performance measures were better than before, with the remainder showing little change.
The commissioner described an effort to make SSA a "digital-first" operation that monitors key performance indicators to improve service whether people use the phone, visit an office or access the website. He said wait times have declined and backlogs have been reduced as part of those improvements.
Bisignano directly challenged Warren’s characterization of the agency, writing, "These facts conclusively demonstrate that you are wrong in alleging a lack of transparency." He also urged the senator to work with the agency rather than what he called "spreading fearmongering and reckless lies that Social Security is going away." He added, "The time has come to stop weaponizing Social Security. The American people do not want a Social Security War Room. They want their leaders to protect and preserve Social Security, just as President Trump has promised."
Sen. Warren, D-Mass., earlier this month sent a letter asserting the agency had become less transparent under the Trump administration, alleging that key data had been removed and that information needed to assess performance was harder to find. The senator characterized the changes as part of a broader pattern of deteriorating openness at federal agencies.
The exchange comes as Social Security remains a central issue in national politics, with elected officials scrutinizing its solvency, administration and customer service. Agency leaders have faced pressure in recent years to modernize technology and reduce processing times for disability and retirement claims, and metrics such as backlogs and average processing days are frequently cited in debates over performance.
The SSA materials emphasize internal monitoring and the use of performance metrics to guide operations, but they do not address broader fiscal questions about Social Security’s long-term funding or legislative proposals that have been discussed in Congress. The agency statement focused narrowly on operational measures and public-facing services.
Officials at SSA noted that improvements on particular measures do not eliminate ongoing challenges, and said the agency’s goal is continued progress in serving beneficiaries. Outside analysts and congressional offices have not independently verified the figures provided in the Sept. 16 report.
The dispute between the agency and Sen. Warren underscores the political sensitivity of Social Security, a program that serves tens of millions of Americans. Both operational performance and public confidence in the agency’s transparency are likely to remain focal points as lawmakers and advocates continue to debate policy and oversight.
The SSA’s letter and data report were the latest in an exchange of documents and public statements regarding the agency’s practices. Bisignano’s letter requested collaboration and warned against what he described as politicizing the issue, while Warren’s original letter called for greater disclosure and scrutiny to ensure accurate public information.
The agency’s assertions about shorter wait times, reduced backlogs and faster processing will be subject to further scrutiny from lawmakers, advocacy groups and journalists seeking to reconcile differing interpretations of the agency’s performance and reporting practices.