The Social Security Administration forcefully rejected a Washington Post report alleging worsening service and backlogs under President Donald Trump, telling Newsweek the article was "full of Pinocchios" and arguing that internal data shows faster service and improved performance for beneficiaries.
The agency pushed back Tuesday against the article that claimed millions of Americans face growing delays in benefit processing because of mounting backlogs and staffing shortfalls.
In a statement to Newsweek, an SSA spokesperson said the Post misrepresented agency data and ignored responses provided before publication.
"The Washington Post piece is full of Pinocchios. Social Security provided multiple on-the-record statements to refute the fake news, but the Washington Post would rather fearmonger seniors than print the truth," the spokesperson said.
"An independent OIG [Office of the Inspector General] audit proved that the Social Security Administration has made profound customer service improvements as a result of technology and staffing decisions.
"Under President Trump's leadership, Social Security is serving more people faster and better than before, and SSA will remain undeterred by politically driven propaganda peddled by the Post."
The Post reported that roughly 6 million "pending actions" were logged across the agency and described delays as the worst in years, citing internal documents and interviews with employees and beneficiaries.
The newspaper said some retirees and disabled Americans waited months for claims to be processed and framed the issue as a decline in service reliability.
SSA officials disputed that characterization, saying the Post conflated internal transactions with backlogged claims and overstated the number of unresolved cases.
"After our transparent and thorough responses, it is disappointing that the Washington Post was unwilling to include any facts that contradicted the politically driven narrative against the Trump Administration," a Social Security spokesperson told the Daily Caller.
"The Social Security Administration under President Trump's leadership is serving more Americans than ever before at quicker speeds, and meeting customers where they want to be served.
"Through technology improvements and modernization, more Americans are choosing to easily and quickly manage their benefits online or over the phone."
According to the agency, about 1.9 million pending field office claims remain, a figure it said reflects standard workflow rather than a system breakdown, the Daily Caller reported.
The administration also pointed to improvements in phone response times, online services, and processing efficiency driven by modernization efforts and staffing changes implemented under Trump.
SSA said those changes were reflected in internal audits and customer satisfaction metrics shared with reporters.
"Today, there are 850,000 less pending actions in the processing centers compared to the same time last year, which contrary to the article, shows improvement," the SSA told the Caller.
The Post acknowledged that the Social Security Inspector General found improvements in certain service areas but argued that wait times and delays remained unacceptable, particularly for complex cases.
SSA officials countered that the article omitted key context and data provided ahead of publication, calling the dispute part of a broader pattern of media coverage that they say understates operational gains under a Republican administration.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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