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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><h2>Social Security Announces Significant Improvements in the Supplemental Security Income Program<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Social Security Administration<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>July 24, 2026<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Baltimore, MD</b> – The Social Security Administration (SSA) today transmitted the 2026 <i>Annual Report of the Supplemental Security Income Program</i> to the President and Congress. Highlighted in this year’s report are significant service improvements for the SSI program under the leadership of Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>New initiatives under Commissioner Bisignano have led to a reduction in improper payments, higher levels of accuracy, and better, faster, and higher-quality service for America’s most vulnerable populations. The significant improvements include:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Streamlining SSI policy instructions for increased transparency.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Deploying technology and call segmentation curating better service for customers.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Expanding use of the Access to Financial Institution (AFI) tool, allowing the agency to identify improper payments early and avoid large overpayments.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Fully implementing the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE), helping to prevent improper payments with timely wage reporting and reducing the reporting burden for recipients.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Strengthening the control environment with tools like the SSI non-medical redetermination process, where SSA conducts scheduled interviews of all non-medical factors to determine ongoing SSI eligibility.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Working closely with recipients and their representatives to promote understanding of the SSI program and maintain trust placed in the agency.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are protecting and strengthening Social Security for all Americans, including the nation’s most vulnerable. As part of this commitment, I renewed SSA’s focus on SSI over the last year,” <b>said Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano.</b> “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. We have made the program better for the people who rely on it and the SSA employees who support them.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a href="https://www.ssa.gov/oact/ssir/SSI26/">View the 2026 <i>Annual Report on the Supplemental Security Income Program</i></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>For more than 50 years, the SSI program has provided financial safety for aged, blind, and disabled Americans with limited resources. They rely on SSI benefits to meet basic needs of food and shelter. The program provides security for more than seven million people and is funded from general tax revenues.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> Suzanne M. Hartfield Turner</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Vice President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Ohio Legislative Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Cleveland Chapter, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>P: (216) 990-6199<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>W: NFBOhio.ORG<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>