The Social Security Administration (SSA) today announced that it is reinstating National Social Security Month—a public awareness campaign held in April each year that is dedicated to helping Americans access their benefits. The agency last observed National Social Security Month in 2019, during President Trump’s first term. The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of National Social Security Month in 2020, and the Biden Administration never resumed the observance.
“President Trump has promised to protect Americans’ hard-earned Social Security benefits so that all eligible individuals can access them,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “Under the previous administration, SSA promoted radical and wasteful DEI and gender ideology while employees worked from home. The result was sky-high wait times for customer service and unconscionable delays for benefit decisions. Resuming National Social Security Month further aligns the SSA workforce with President Trump’s principle that government must serve The People—and at SSA that means helping all Americans access their benefits in office, over the phone, and online.”
Effective immediately, April of each year will once again be recognized as National Social Security Month. This year, the period of enhanced public outreach will extend to August 14, when Social Security celebrates its 90th Anniversary. Social Security has a proud tradition of public outreach dating back to its establishment, when employees fanned out across the country to enroll Americans in the program. This year’s enhanced public outreach to help eligible individuals access their benefits continues Social Security’s proud tradition of service to the American people.
At the same time, SSA continues its work with the Department of Government Efficiency to rapidly transform SSA into a customer-focused organization that safeguards Americans’ benefits. In alignment with President Trump’s directives, SSA has identified a range of cost avoidance or efficiencies, including terminating or de-scoping wasteful contracts promoting radical DEI and gender ideology. SSA has also refocused its workforce on customer service by: implementing President Trump’s directive that teleworking employees must return to work in-person full time; surging employees in support positions to front-line service positions; and eliminating layers of outdated and inefficient bureaucracy in its headquarters and regional offices to increase accountability. The combined savings from all of these measures is estimated to be over $1 billion. Ongoing modernization of SSA’s IT will further improve the agency’s customer service across all of its service channels while protecting benefits from waste, fraud, and abuse.
