Social Security announced significant improvements to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program on July 24, 2026, highlighting new initiatives designed to reduce improper payments and strengthen service delivery for America’s most vulnerable populations.
The improvements, outlined in the 2026 Annual Report of the Supplemental Security Income Program transmitted to the President and Congress, represent the agency’s renewed focus on the SSI program under Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano’s leadership. According to the official announcement, the new initiatives have led to a reduction in improper payments, higher levels of accuracy, and better, faster, and higher-quality service for SSI recipients.
The program serves more than seven million aged, blind, and disabled Americans with limited resources, providing them with financial safety to meet basic needs of food and shelter. SSI is funded from general tax revenues.
Among the key improvements announced is the full implementation of the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE), which helps prevent improper payments with timely wage reporting and reduces the reporting burden for recipients. The PIE automates the wage reporting process by transmitting information from payroll data providers, allowing the agency to receive verified wage and employment reports. According to SSA documentation, PIE reached full-scale monthly exchanges in September 2025.
The agency is also expanding use of the Access to Financial Institution (AFI) tool, which allows the SSA to identify improper payments early and avoid large overpayments by verifying bank account information. The AFI process, conducted with an individual’s consent, helps detect undisclosed resources in financial accounts held by SSI applicants and recipients.
Additional improvements include streamlining SSI policy instructions for increased transparency, deploying technology and call segmentation to curate better service for customers, and strengthening the control environment through tools like the SSI non-medical redetermination process. This process involves SSA conducting scheduled interviews of all non-medical factors to determine ongoing SSI eligibility.
“For the first time in the agency’s history, I named a lead executive and established the SSI Improvement office to transform the service we provide to SSI recipients,” Commissioner Bisignano said in the announcement. “We have made the program better for the people who rely on it and the SSA employees who support them.”
The SSI Improvement Team, established in September 2025, was created as part of the broader effort to modernize program administration. The agency has emphasized working closely with recipients and their representatives to promote understanding of the SSI program and maintain trust placed in the agency.
Sources
- Social Security Administration — Official press release on July 24, 2026, announcing significant improvements in the SSI program under Commissioner Bisignano
- Social Security Administration — 2026 Annual Report of the Supplemental Security Income Program detailing the new initiatives and improvements
- Social Security Administration — Official documentation on the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE) and its implementation timeline
- Social Security Administration — Information on the Access to Financial Institution (AFI) tool and its role in identifying improper payments
