Social Security Commissioner Fails to Reassure Lawmakers About Data Breaches
In a befuddling appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee, Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano failed to reassure lawmakers of
Trump Offers Seniors Lies & Empty Promises in State of the Union Speech
Last night, Donald Trump delivered a bloated, hyper-partisan spectacle that did nothing to reassure the concerns of older Americans. In fact, the president attempted to mislead seniors about the administration’s policies that most seriously affect them.
“The state of the union speech was theatrics over substance. And it was brazenly partisan,” said NCPSSM president and CEO, Max Richtman. “Trump’s brand of political performance art is no substitute for leadership that improves the lives of Americans of all ages, including our nation’s seniors.”
The Dystopian Future is Now at Trump’s Social Security Administration
Getty Images A combination of incompetence and extremism is once again on display at Trump’s Social Security Administration (SSA).
Trump & DOGE Wreaked Havoc at SSA, New Reporting Confirms
As the year ends, new reporting confirms that customer service at the Social Security Administration (SSA) has tanked since Trump took office last January – despite the administration's claims to the contrary. A new investigative report by the Washington Post -- based on a thorough analysis of agency data and interviews with SSA employees -- reveals that “long-strained customer services have become worse by many key measures.”
Latest Social Security Website Crash a Symptom of Trump/DOGE Mismanagement
Seniors trying to access their earned benefit information hit a snag when the Social Security Administration's (SSA) website crashed on Wednesday morning. These sorts of incidents have unfortunately become commonplace since the Trump administration took over, as DOGE’s crusade at SSA has left the agency in chaos.
"We continue to get reports of glitches on SSA's website. It looks like this was one of them," said NCPSSM President and CEO, Max Richtman.
Trump Shutdown Could Snag Social Security, Medicare
In normal times, a government shutdown --- while unfortunate --- would not be cause for immediate alarm for people on Social Security and Medicare. But these are not normal times. The Trump administration has made the shutdown more perilous for the most vulnerable Americans because of its campaign to undermine the delivery of both programs --- not to mention the President’s recent threat to cut benefits.
Social Security Comish Would Consider Raising Retirement Age
Despite Trump’s pledge not to cut Social Security, administration officials keep letting the real agenda slip out. First, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted that privatizing Social Security was on the table. Now, Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano says he’s open to the idea of raising the retirement age. (The current full retirement age is 67; congressional Republicans have floated proposals to raise it as high as 70.)
In an interview on Fox Business News last week, host Maria Bartiromo asked Bisignano if he’d “consider raising the retirement age,” to which the commissioner replied, “I think everything’s being considered.”
Bisignano’s Un-Truthy Letter to the People — or “Fact-Checking the Frankster”
The Trump administration continues to gaslight the American people about its interference in the workings of the Social Security Administration (SSA). So it's time for another fact-check. The Trump administration and DOGE savagely cut staff, closed field offices, and erected barriers for beneficiaries attempting to access their earned benefits --- as part of a phony hunt for ‘fraud’ (which, in fact, is extremely rare).
Now, Commissioner Frank Bisignano is misleading the public by claiming that these actions have ‘improved’ customer service, when they have, in fact, made things significantly worse. On the 90th anniversary of Social Security in August, SSA posted an 'un-truthy' letter from Bisignano to the American people on its website.
We asked our director of government relations and policy, Dan Adcock, to knock down the false claims by Trump’s Social Security commissioner:
DOGE ‘Very Badly’ Mishandles Americans’ Social Security Data
Back in February, we warned that DOGE was compromising Americans’ personal information by accessing sensitive Social Security data:
“Seniors, their families, and people with disabilities most certainly cannot trust Trump and Musk with their crucial federal benefits — or their personal data.” – Max Richtman, NCPSSM President, 2/3/25
This week, our fears were confirmed. For no justifiable reason, DOGE team members uploaded the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans to “a vulnerable cloud server,” according to a whistleblower within the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Trump Marks Social Security’s 90th Anniversary by Spreading Misinformation
Social Security turned 90 this week, a milestone that should have been celebrated with reverence. However, the Trump administration marked the occasion by perpetuating misleading claims about its handling of the program. From manipulating statistics to spreading untruths about immigrants, this administration is playing a dangerous game with one of America’s most cherished federal programs.
Manipulating Metrics to Rewrite Reality
As our president, Max Richtman, reminds us, “We wish we could simply celebrate, but the 90-year history of Social Security shows that we must always defend the program from those who would privatize or outright eliminate it.” Richtman emphasizes, “Social Security is part of the fabric of American life and must be preserved for the future.”