Social Security Administration

GAO reviewed management problems that the Social Security Administration (SSA) must address to ensure the continued delivery of high-quality service to social security recipients.

GAO noted that SSA has serious management problems that: (1) are not evident to the public; (2) have contributed to crisis situations in the past; and (3) could interfere with SSA ability to effectively accomplish its mission in the future. GAO found that SSA: (1) has had seven commissioners or acting commissioners over the last 10 years, resulting in frequent changes in priorities, diminished accountability, and little long-term operational planning; (2) has made little progress in modernizing its computer system, particularly its software; (3) plans to spend over $600 million to modernize its computer system; (4) does not have a plan to systematically identify and develop future leaders and managers; and (5) cannot ensure that employees' wage records are accurate. GAO also found that SSA: (1) makes substantial benefit overpayments annually; (2) has been unable to correct its financial management problems because of fragmented responsibility and lack of leadership; (3) has allowed wide variations in efficiency among similar units because of its limited emphasis on efficiency; (4) has neither established nor used measurable, national benchmarks for service quality or timeliness for certain post-entitlement work loads; and (5) has many employees who are uncertain about the future of their jobs and are dissatisfied with many management actions.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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