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Get Your New Standardized Benefit Verification Letter Online

December 3, 2020 • By

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Last Updated: November 2, 2023

If you receive a Benefit Verification letter, sometimes called a “budget letter,” a “benefits letter,” a “proof of income letter,” or a “proof of award letter,” we have good news for you! A new standardized Benefit Verification letter is now available when you need proof of Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income, or Medicare.

In addition to name, date of birth, and the benefits received, the new Benefit Verification letter includes other identifiers to prevent misuse and fraud. This is an added benefit to you as proof of income for loans, housing assistance, mortgage, and other verification purposes.

The same standardized letter is also available if you need proof that you do not receive benefits, or proof that benefits are pending. If you are an individual representative payee, you can use the my Social Security Representative Payee portal to access the same standardized Benefit Verification letter online for your beneficiaries.

This new standardized Benefit Verification letter is another example of our commitment to improve our service to you.

No matter how you request your letter, whether calling our National 800 Number, your local office, the Interactive Voice Response system, or online with your personal my Social Security account, the Benefit Verification letter now contains a seamless look.

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About the Author

Grace M. Kim, Deputy Commissioner, Operations

Grace M. Kim, Deputy Commissioner, Operations

Comments

  1. Steven E.

    I won my case in February 2021. I got the benefit verification letter already. I am now working to get my disability union pension. The pension dept wants the paper that says award on the left hand side upper top of paper. This is the only paper they will take. I tried telling them that it does not say award anymore but its called benefit verification letter. They wont accept this. What do I do now?? Thank you.

    • V.V.

      Hi Steven, thanks for using our blog. You can call your local Social Security office. Look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.

  2. Lillian M.

    Hi can I do correct my Social Security I did not use I forgot to use my married name I only used it in MillerI also have Social Security in graham so what do I do thank youI think I need a do over I got all my paperwork

    • V.V.

      Hi Lillian, thank you for your question. Check out our Social Security and Coronavirus web page for details on the documents you need to mail in with your Social Security card application to get a replacement card with your new name. We hope this helps!

  3. ROBERT E.

    I am moving out of the country and need a benefits verification letter signed by the SSA commissioner to get it apostille. Is that even possible??

    • V.V.

      Hi Robert, thanks for using our blog. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for details on how to get a benefit verification letter. This letter is sometimes called a budget letter, a benefits letter, a proof of income letter or a proof of award letter. You also may be able to request a benefit verification letter by using our automated telephone service at 1-800-772-1213. You can conduct the automated services 24 hours a day. At the prompt, indicate that you’re requesting a proof of income letter. We hope this helps.

  4. Stacey A.

    Hello, the option to create a my Social Security account is not available online. It keeps giving an error saying “This service is not available at this time. Please try again during our regular service hours (Eastern Time)…”

  5. Virginia F.

    You keep taking money out. Y check that should not be taken out this has been going since Aug 2020 not right I can’t live

    • V.V.

      For your security, Virginia, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can call your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.

  6. Cynthia C.

    I need a ‘benefit verification letter’ to be mailed to me to show my rental office, I have to do this every year and the one I received back in December is over 120 days old. For some reason am having trouble getting it or rather finding the link to get it sent to me by mail. I get recertified every year and have to have this showing what I get from SSI and SSA. Can you please help me? Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

    • V.V.

      Hi Cynthia, thanks for using our blog. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for details on how to get a benefit verification letter. This letter is sometimes called a budget letter, a benefits letter, a proof of income letter or a proof of award letter. You also may be able to request a benefit verification letter by using our automated telephone service at 1-800-772-1213. You can conduct the automated services 24 hours a day. At the prompt, indicate that you’re requesting a proof of income letter. We hope this helps.

  7. John G.

    I am just trying to find out why I am not receiving my benefits yet? I applied November 15, 2020. Online it says, still in process. If there is a problem, why have I not been contacted? My confirmation number is, 78927386. Thanks for your time.

    • V.V.

      Hi John, thanks for using our blog. Please call your local Social Security office. Look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.

  8. C

    How long does it take for self employment income to be sent to ssa to update earnings record?

    • V.V.

      Hi Cindy, thank you for using our blog to ask your question. Each year we review the records for all Social Security recipients who work. If your latest year of earnings turns out to be one of your highest years, we refigure your benefit and pay you any increase due. This is an automatic process, and benefits are paid in December of the following year. For example, in December 2021, you should get an increase for your 2020 earnings if those earnings raised your benefit. The increase would be retroactive to January 2021.

      Check out our Receiving Benefits While Working web page for more details.

      • C

        But how long does it actually take for the irs to report self employment earnings for the current year to ssa?

  9. C

    How long does it take for a comment to appear?

  10. C

    I got the standardized benefit letter on my ssa online account and it is incorrect.
    It states that an application for benefits has been filed but it is being processed and cannot be told whether it will be approved or not.
    I DID NOT APPLY FOR BENEFITS.
    I have called the 800 # 3 times about this and they tell me that there is no application filed against either my ss # or my late husband’s ss # (for widow’s benefits).

    They cannot tell me why I am seeing this information on this letter.

    For years I have checked and got an online letter saying I am not receiving benefits and have never received them and no claims are pending. The last one was in July, 2020.

    Now this new letter shows me wrong information.

    How can I get this corrected?

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