The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognized the importance of enhancing Americans' access to government services online even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with the President’s Executive Order (EO) 12862, the SSA aimed to transform SSA.gov, a comprehensive online platform with thousands of web pages, to improve how the public interacts with the government.

 

To achieve this goal, the SSA's Web Strategy Team utilized the United States Web Design System (USWDS) and human-centered design standards to redesign SSA.gov. They implemented Federal Plain Language Guidelines to simplify content and created a user-friendly system that guides users to relevant information through intuitive questions.The team also enhanced the website's infrastructure by transitioning to a Content Delivery Network (CDN), ensuring improved resilience, speed, and security.

 

Working closely with SSA leaders, the team prioritized high-traffic sections of the website, delivering improvements with the initial launch in December 2022. The redesigned platform provides a seamless customer experience, achieving 100% uptime and empowering Americans to effectively manage their SSA benefits and records.

 

The value of SSA's redesigned site is significant. It enables the public to easily access and manage SSA benefits and reduces operational costs and burdens on field offices nationwide. The platform processes millions of transactions annually, serves millions of recipients, applicants, and individuals, and has achieved remarkable performance metrics, including page display time and hosting efficiency. The estimated savings over five years in front-processing and infrastructure expenses are projected to reach $285 million.