President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday, celebrating the 90th anniversary of Social Security and revealing several changes during his second term. Among other things, the 79-year-old announced that his administration has ‘kicked out’ as many as 275,000 illegal immigrants out of the program. He further added that about 2.4 million names, over 120 years old, were removed from the database.
However, the biggest announcement of Thursday was about no tax on Social Security for seniors.
“As Social Security celebrates its 90th anniversary, the Trump Administration’s bold improvements to customer service, technology, and efficiency have positioned the agency to provide quicker access and greater value for the beneficiaries it serves,” the White House said in a press release.
“That includes President Trump making good on his No Tax on Social Security campaign promise. Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill — now the law of the land — the vast majority of seniors receiving Social Security will no longer pay taxes on that income.”
Under President Trump, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has rolled out sweeping reforms (per the press release):
Customer Service Overhaul
The agency is managing 70% more calls than last year while slashing the average wait time by 80%, from half an hour to just six minutes.
Enhanced automation now handles 90% of calls to the national helpline through self-service tools or callbacks, sharply reducing hold times.
Wait times at field offices have dropped by 23%, and scheduled appointments are up fivefold compared to last year.
For the first time in years, all field offices are fully staffed, with employees back in the office five days a week to better assist the public.
Major Technology Upgrades
Americans now have uninterrupted, round-the-clock access to their SSA online accounts, eliminating the previous 29-hour weekly downtime. This change alone allowed more than 280,000 additional customers to log in within the first two weeks.
A modern recording and transcription system, replacing outdated hardware, is nearly complete — improving accuracy and saving millions annually.
Updated phone systems have been deployed to 92% of field offices, improving call quality and efficiency.
Backlog Reduction and Faster Service
Initial disability claim backlogs have been reduced by 26% from last year’s peak, with processing times cut by five days. Disability hearing wait times have also dropped by 60 days.
More than 3.1 million payments, totaling over $17 billion, were issued under the Social Security Fairness Act, five months ahead of schedule.
Tighter Oversight and Cost Savings
The SSA has identified over $1 billion in savings and efficiencies this fiscal year.
Efforts to curb improper payments have recovered and prevented billions in losses.
A long-delayed payroll information exchange is finally launching, enabling direct data transfers from payroll providers and projected to save billions over the next decade.
