# Social Security chief disputes wait time claims in tense Capitol hearing  
**Published:** 2026-06-11T18:58:37.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/11/repub/head-of-social-security-challenged-by-lawmakers-over-long-lines-wait-times/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/social-security-chief-disputes-wait-time-claims-in-tense-capitol-hearing

Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano told Congress on Wednesday that customer service has drastically improved during the past year, but Democrats on Capitol Hill remained skeptical of his claims, citing persistent long waits and appointment scheduling issues that constituents continue to report, according to [the Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/11/repub/head-of-social-security-challenged-by-lawmakers-over-long-lines-wait-times/).

The hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee subcommittees on Social Security and Work and Welfare came just one day after Social Security trustees reported the Old Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund will become depleted in the fourth quarter of 2032, earlier than previously expected, triggering an automatic 22 percent cut in benefits.

Bisignano, who has led the agency since May 2025, pointed to statistical improvements including average field office wait times reduced to 20 minutes—a 30 percent improvement—and answering 90 percent of calls to the 800-number with average wait times of five minutes. But Democrats challenged the methodology behind those figures.

"The American people deserve accurate information on how long they can expect to wait when trying to get help for their benefits," said California Democratic Rep. Judy Chu. She noted that the administration classifies anyone requesting a callback as having zero minute hold time, distorting the actual experience. [Current processing times in Nebraska show applicants typically wait between 12 to 18 months for disability hearing dates](https://www.louislawgroup.com/ssdi-processing-time-nebraska-2026), according to disability benefits resources.

Nevada Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford pressed Bisignano about wait times at the Las Vegas field office for disability hearings, which take nearly 11 months. Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis said Social Security Administration press releases claiming dramatic improvements "conflict with reports from AARP and our constituents."

On Social Security's broader financial crisis, Karen Glenn, chief actuary at the Social Security Administration, told a separate hearing that addressing the program's budget woes requires either raising revenue by one-third, reducing benefits by one-fourth, or a combination of the two. "The trustees have consistently advised that Congress should act sooner rather than later," she said. "We are just about out of time for that sooner. We are basically at the later."

Mark Sarney, director of Social Security policy at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, warned that allowing automatic benefit cuts in 2032 would amount to 1 percent of the national economy disappearing from benefit payments annually, with potentially severe consequences for communities where seniors and disabled Americans are heavily concentrated.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/11/repub/head-of-social-security-challenged-by-lawmakers-over-long-lines-wait-times/)
- [Information on Social Security Disability processing times in Nebraska](https://www.louislawgroup.com/ssdi-processing-time-nebraska-2026)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/11/repub/head-of-social-security-challenged-by-lawmakers-over-long-lines-wait-times/.