Modernizing beneficiary notifications

Challenge: SSA sends hundreds of millions of notices each year to inform people about their retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. However, many notices are hard to understand and poorly designed, leading to confusion and increased customer service calls to SSA. Furthermore, most notices are sent by mail, which is expensive and increasingly not preferred by customers.

Approach & Outcomes: SSA reduced printing and mailing costs by digitizing forms and making them available online, creating a more streamlined customer experience. SSA is now able to view, collect, and save customer delivery preferences and notification consent. SSA plans to build on these wins by reducing phone wait times, promoting digital communication (email and text), and improving the mySSA online experience.