Recent Press Release Overview

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has remained committed to communicating both its improvements and the technology-driven approach they continue to enforce. The Olinsky Law Group team has reviewed many of these communications and identified a consistent theme: customer service remains a key area of emphasis and continues to be a recurring topic. Supporting this, one of SSA’s latest press releases claims that in fiscal year 2026 (FY2026), the actions and strategies which the agency implemented during the year produced the best performance in history.

Like previous announcements, SSA used the opportunity to share data points relating to the reduction of wait times and the increasing use of online services. SSA also referenced themselves as a “model of excellence,” and presented statistical comparisons of previous years, illustrating the different improvements made in FY2026. This type of press release summarizing the year was ultimately expected, however, highlights another key insight identified through the Olinsky Law Group’s analyses of prior SSA communications.

History of FY2026 Communications

It has been widely recognized that a large portion of SSA’s press releases this year have communicated agency improvements, specifically their commitment to technology and customer service. For example, back in May, on the first anniversary of Commissioner Bisignano’s time with SSA, the agency released an overview describing his inaugural year as “historic.” While in June, another press release was published where SSA recognized themselves as a “digital first agency” and stated its performance metrics had seen large improvements.

In July, an announcement was made regarding new technological enhancements, that were put in place to continue advancing customer service initiatives. SSA additionally used the anniversary of the Social Security Act in August, along with the multiple press releases published throughout the year each time Commissioner Bisignano visited a field office to also highlight the agency’s improvements.

Beyond highlighting their commitment to customer service, many of their announcements also emphasized the positive impact their efforts have had on the American people. However, the Olinsky Law Group team has found that the relationship between these improvements and increased customer satisfaction remains unclear. Ultimately, while efforts to enhance customer service were evident throughout the year, inconsistencies remained and limited evidence was provided to demonstrate measurable improvements in customer satisfaction.

New Year, Same Message

Around this time last year, Olinsky Law Group assessed SSA’s communication efforts, prompting the team to consider how the agency would approach their communications throughout 2026. Now, a year later, it has been fascinating, though unsurprising, to observe that the communication trend has remained the same, as evident considering the agency’s recent press release.

It’s been a year of communications emphasizing customer service and technological advancements, yet, SSA has continued to provide limited quantifiable evidence of improvements in customer satisfaction. The agency concluded this recent announcement by sharing its commitment to building on these improvements, and as 2026 comes to an end, it will be important to continue monitoring these improvements and whether this communication trend is sustained in 2027.

To view SSA’s recent press release, navigate here.