Hirono Urges Social Security Administration to Reduce Call Hold Times for Hawaii Beneficiaries

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) sent a letter to Dr. Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), urging her to take action to reduce call hold times for individuals calling from Hawaii. Due to a recent change in how calls to SSA call centers are routed, callers from Hawaii have been experiencing longer hold times, making it harder for them to access Social Security benefits and have their questions answered.

“I have heard from my constituents about the difficulties they have experienced in trying to contact the SSA by phone to receive assistance with their Social Security benefits. By some estimates, 1-in-3 calls to SSA went unanswered last year, and 1-in-12 callers received busy signals,” wrote Senator Hirono in her letter. “These wait times can be especially problematic for those claiming disability benefits for the first time, who, on average, had to wait 204 days for initial claims to be processed.”

Nearly 70 million people in the U.S. rely on Social Security benefits, including 280,000 individuals in Hawaii. Previously, Hawaii residents who called the SSA’s National 800 Number Network service were automatically redirected to a Hawaii call center. Since these calls are no longer automatically redirected, callers have experienced noticeably longer call hold times.

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dr. Kilolo Kijakazi

Acting Commissioner

Social Security Administration

6401 Security Blvd

Baltimore, MD 21235

Dear Acting Commissioner Kijakazi:

Thank you for your commitment to serving the nearly 70 million individuals in our country who rely on Social Security, including the 280,000 individuals in Hawaii who receive benefits. As the Social Security Administration (SSA) works to improve the National 800 Number Network service, I ask you to consider changes that could reduce call hold times for individuals in Hawaii.

I have heard from my constituents about the difficulties they have experienced in trying to contact the SSA by phone to receive assistance with their Social Security benefits. By some estimates, 1-in-3 calls to SSA went unanswered last year, and 1-in-12 callers received busy signals. These wait times can be especially problematic for those claiming disability benefits for the first time, who, on average, had to wait 204 days for initial claims to be processed – a substantial increase of 100 days over the last decade. I understand staff shortages, which will likely require more funding from Congress, are largely the reason for these long wait times. Until staffing shortages are addressed, we should do whatever we can to reduce wait times.

I recently spoke with representatives from AARP Hawaii, which continues to advocate for changes that will improve service for SSA beneficiaries in Hawaii. AARP Hawaii informed me that Hawaii residents who previously called the national 800 number were automatically redirected to the Hawaii call center, resulting in wait times of between 7 and 20 minutes. A recent change by SSA has resulted in noticeably longer call hold times because the Hawaii calls are no longer automatically redirected to Hawaii.

Would it be possible to return to the process of automatically redirecting Hawaii callers to the Hawaii call center, thereby improving SSA’s responsiveness and reducing wait times for these callers?

With that, I urge you to look into this issue and work with my office to see whether there are any other similar changes that could reduce call hold times.

Senator Hirono has been a strong advocate for Social Security and has consistently worked to ensure Social Security recipients get the benefits they have earned. Last July, she reintroduced the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act, legislation that would strengthen Social Security’s financial state and ensure that seniors continue to benefit from the programs they have paid into throughout their lives. In 2020, she introduced the Social Security COVID Correction and Equity Act, legislation that provided temporary emergency relief for Social Security beneficiaries, and corrected the formula used for determining benefits to prevent substantial cuts for individuals turning 60.

###