Social Security email sent to retirees included "misleading information," Democratic senators say

A group of Democratic senators is accusing the Social Security Administration of using a July email to distribute "misleading information" and "a partisan, politicized message," saying it threatens the agency's credibility as an independent agency.

The email, titled "Making Life More Affordable for America's Seniors," was sent on July 2 by Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. The message was meant to highlight the agency's efforts to improve Social Security's customer service, while also touting the impact of the Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or OBBBA, on retirees' taxes.

"Thanks to President Trump, over 35 million American seniors received an average of $7,500 in relief this tax season," the email stated. Bisignano also listed recent changes at the agency, including reducing wait times at Social Security field offices and answering beneficiary calls more quickly.

"Put simply, America's seniors are winning!" he wrote at the end of the email.

The email overstated the OBBBA's impact on seniors' finances, the Democratic senators allege in a July 21 letter to Bisignano. The senators — Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico — also claim the email included partisan messaging that does not align with Bisignano's promise to run the Social Security Administration as an independent agency.

"You have once again disregarded your promise to 'run the SSA in an independent and nonpartisan manner' and instead are wasting taxpayer resources while threatening the credibility and trustworthiness of the Social Security program," the senators wrote, referring to Bisignano's testimony during his March 2025 nomination hearing.

The claim about the OBBBA's impact on seniors' taxes was misleading, the senators said.

When the legislation was approved last year, the SSA claimed it would "eliminate federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries." However, the law doesn't eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits. Instead, it created a new $6,000 tax deduction for taxpayers 65 and older.

In the letter sent to Bisignano, the senators said the $7,500 tax relief figure cited by the commissioner is a "gross overestimate" of the OBBBA's impact. 

Data from the Treasury Department shows 68% of filers who claimed the enhanced senior deduction had an income under $100,000, while 94% had income under $200,000.

The senators have asked Bisignano to respond to their questions about the email by Aug. 11.

Advocates dispute Social Security's tax claims

Shannon Benton, the executive director of nonpartisan advocacy group The Senior Citizens League, said that while Bisignano's claim may represent an average size of the senior tax deduction for older households, the actual tax benefit is contingent on an individual's taxable income and tax bracket.

"It wasn't a $7,500 tax refund or $7,500 in direct savings," she told CBS News in an email. 

Because deductions lower a filer's taxable income, they reduce a person's tax burden — but that isn't the same as a tax refund or direct dollar-to-dollar reduction of owed taxes. The Tax Policy Center last year estimated that seniors would see an average tax reduction of approximately $1,100 from the senior deduction, according to Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, an advocacy organization.

A separate report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released last year pointed out that nearly half of seniors don't owe any income tax, meaning the $6,000 deduction does not reduce their tax bill.

"The OBBBA did not reduce or eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits," Richtman said in an email. "[Mr.] Trump and Bisignano are misleading the public by claiming otherwise."

Treasury Department figures show that overall, filers earning between $100,000 and $200,000 received an average tax cut of over $1,250, while filers earning $50,000 to $100,000 received an average tax cut of over $815.

Nancy Altman, president of advocacy group Social Security Works, expressed concern about the political nature of Bisignano's letter, calling it "unprecedented."

"It is a highly inappropriate use of the Social Security email list, which is intended to share important information about benefits and not for political messaging," she said in an email.