How to Contact Social Security: What You Need to Know About Recent Changes
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: May 1, 2025
When you want to get in touch with Social Security, you have options. The most convenient way to conduct business with us is online with a personal my Social Security account.
More than 71 million adults use our online services through my Social Security. If you don’t have an account or access to the internet, you can contact us by phone, mail, fax, or in person.
Below you’ll find information and updates about each contact method.
Online at www.ssa.gov
Millions of people who created their personal my Social Security account before September 18, 2021, still need to transition to Login.gov or create a new ID.me or Login.gov account. If you haven’t made the transition yet, you’ll want to take action now. Learn about changes we’re making to your personal my Social Security account.
If you don’t have an account, it’s easy to create one.
With a free and secure my Social Security account, you can:
- Submit an application for most benefits. By applying online, you can skip a trip to a local office to verify your identity and complete your application.
- Add or change direct deposit information if you receive Social Security benefits. If you get Supplemental Security Income and have an account, you may be able to change your direct deposit over the phone using a one-time code that you get from ssa.gov/pin and providing it to the representative. If you don’t have a personal my Social Security account, you’ll need to update your direct deposit details at a local office or your bank.
- Upload forms and documents. To minimize delays, you can now use your account to electronically submit certain forms and documents to your local office. We’ll send you a text or email after successful submission.
Note: In limited situations, you may be offered the option to use an online tool to schedule a phone or in-office appointment. We plan to expand its availability in the future.
Telephone
To speak with a representative, you can call our National toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If necessary, we can make a video, phone, or in-person appointment for you. To find out the average wait time based on the time and day of the week, check out Contact Social Security By Phone.
Automated phone services
You may not need to speak with a representative when you use our automated phone services. They’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Learn more about them at Contact Social Security By Phone.
Mail or fax
If you need to submit forms, documents, or other information to your local office, you’ll find the mailing address and fax number by entering your zip code in our online office locator. Note: Some offices have drop-off boxes.
Visit a local office
Appointments are required in most cases. If you need to visit an office, call 1-800-772-1213 to schedule an appointment.
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Ronald D.
Y’all SUCK !!!!
Belle r.
Aloha
I’ve been on hold for 2 hours to speak to someone about a question that is not listed on the website. Should they have a way to leave my phone nbr to have them call me back the automated system says to do a short survey after the call and i’m still on hold
Marlene
Im.relieved to have a new admistration finding billions of dollars being paid out to dead people! THATS NO OK. we need to clean up a very serious financial mess. Illegals collecting? THATS NO OK. SO WHAT EVER CHANGES ARE BEING MADE SO THIS STOPS AND NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN IM TOTALLY OK WITH IT. THE FAILED BIDEN ADMIN IS GONE. THANK GOD. NOW THE AMERICANS LEGAL OR BORN HERE SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEMS. THE FEDERAL GOV MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR A BORN AMERICANS WHO HAS SEVERE DISABITIES TO RECEIVE SOCIAL SEC. BUT AN ILEGAL WHO HAS NEVER WORKED OR PAID INTO AND SPEAKS NO ENGLISH GETS A CHECK IMMEDIATELY!!! NOW THAT PISSED ME OFF. TRUMP/VANCE AND DOGE I FEEL CONFIRMED OF WHAT I KNEW ALL ALONG US POOR PEOPLE AMERICANS WERE GETTING ROBBED AND SUPRESSED INTO A SOCIALIST COMMUNISM WAY OPENING THOSE BORDERS GIVING SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS TO ILEGALS WHO WERE NOT BORN HERE. NO NOT HAPPENING. I want to know why us Americans were treated so bad and illegals are not?
Quacy M.
Monty fortune is the cause or main cause of my disability or sickness and I forgot to write it down on my social security paperwork
mev
I do think you should let people come in without appointments . It is like flying standby. If the person does not have an appointment, they might have to wait but it is not feasible to tell people they have to make an appointment. If they cannot get through on the phone and it hangs up several times and they cannot get an appointment at all, they still need to be able to come in. I don’t have to make an appointment to go to the public library or to go to the post office. No one, I don’t think, has answered the questions as to WHY there needs to be an appointment. That is creating mistrust because that is the one area SSA needs to be more transparent in. WHY are appointments needed?
Facio
Die then
Bonnie S.
The problems started way before President Trump was in office. I started in September 2024 trying to do a withdrawal. I just this week got the letter in the mail for the payback of my Social Security. I have called the 1-800 number multiple times and always got a message your wait is greater than 120 minutes. I have called at 640 pm and got the same message. I have called our local number and left messages and no return calls. We definitely have a broken system. Hopefully they get it updated soon. I was told it could take up to 2 years to restart my Social Security by the local office. I will be back paid but It could be a long time until I get the check.
itsjustme
I’m sorry you are going throug this. Yes this has been a problem for a while, through many administrations . You may want to call your Congress person constituent services office, House or Senate, and see if they can help with this. I sought help with Senator Sinema before she left . Her constituent services office was very helpful. I am hoping you can get help this way.
Virginia R.
Unbelievable- first you abolish the Affordable Connectivity Program that system many low income seniors used so now they no longer have Internet access and then you have the nerve to tell these same people the best way to access their benefits it’s thru the internet.
We are definitely being run by people who don’t have the capacity to see outside their own circumstances
I’ve already let our Rep Buddy Carter know that I’m going to start renting vans and bringing the our elderly neighbours by van to his office at least once a month- with the local news alerted- so he can sit down and help navigate this mess that has been created
I have a neighbor who is recovering from throat surgery and cant communicate with a phone AND had his internet service disconnected due to abolishing ACP- maybe one of the “brilliant” doge boys or girls can come down to Savannah every month to sort out his and nearly dozen other neighbors social security when ANOTHER problem arises?
DoGE and Musk are just so ignorant they don’t even realise they aren’t hearing complaints because this same group can’t get on a computer or mobile phone and lodge a complaint without proper internet service and smart phone technology
Elizabeth
Right on! The current administration and GOP are heartless.
Angel
It ended in 2024. Look it up.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Affordability+Connectivity+program+ended+on&t=ftsa&ia=web
MaKar
SSA completely forgets about citizens living abroad. The online resources are buried deep and once found, the instructions are “contact your embassy”. But what will happen now that DOGE and the Dept of State are dramatically reducing staff count and closing many embassies?
Beth W.
These are PUBLIC offices and as such ought to maintain access to the public that needs in person assistance. I hope the current administration will require the offices to re-open to the public for appointments and waiting in line if they don’t have an appointment. The public deserves access to Social Security in whichever way is easiest for them to use.
Eda B.
Approved for SSDI 11/2024. Received call from local SSA office and was notified I was not eligible for Supplemental Income. Then received notice from SSA outling my benefits going back to 2019. The chart outlines my back pay benefits before deductions. I have not received any other payments since other than my monthly SSDI payment. Each month they tell me its still in the payment center with an amount but no release date. Why are they holding my money???? I have received no request for additional information so what are they waiting for? My anxiety is 100%. I had to have emergency surgery and am getting hit with medical bills not covered through Medicare Adv plan. I have to make choices between food and utilities bills as is. Now more bills. I need to speak to someone in Payment Processing but cannot. Someone has to be accountable for all the delays.
Nancy S.
Get a Social Security Disability lawyer. You might see them on local TV ads. They help people navigate getting SSDI and can probably help you navigate into SSDI’s system, seeing that you’re new to SSDI. They usually will just take their fee from whatever back pay benefit you get from Social Security. Stinks to have to pay for it, but worth it. Helps lessen the anxiety, etc.