PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes today demanded the Social Security Administration (SSA) take immediate action to address widespread failures that have hampered the ability of many Arizonans to access the Social Security benefits they rely on.
In a letter sent today to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano, Attorney General Mayes demanded urgent remedial steps in response to a service crisis affecting seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income residents across Arizona. Since March, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has received hundreds of constituent reports describing delayed payments, wrongful benefit suspensions, and an inability to reach SSA by phone or in-person.
“The Social Security Administration is failing the very people it was created to serve,” said Attorney General Mayes. “From lost payments to seven-hour hold times to field offices turning away walk-ins, the stories we’ve heard from Arizonans are heartbreaking — and completely unacceptable. The Trump administration has an obligation to deliver these benefits promptly, and right now it is not meeting those obligations.”
The Attorney General’s letter outlines specific failures, including:
- Denial of in-person help at field offices for individuals facing urgent benefit issues;
- Disruption of phone and online services, preventing people from updating banking information or appealing terminations;
- Service delays resulting from drastic workforce cuts and the elimination of civil rights and customer service offices.
Mayes also slammed the recent false narratives from public figures like Elon Musk that have led to these service rollbacks, noting that the SSA’s own Inspector General found fewer than 1% of payments over a seven-year period were improper.
“Arizonans deserve a Social Security Administration that works — not one hollowed out by misinformation, mismanagement, and neglect,” said Attorney General Mayes. “I urge the Trump administration to act now and restore lawful, accessible, and appropriate service for the people of Arizona.”
The full letter from Attorney General Mayes is available below.