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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Boston R.
good read
Kendra B.
I am requesting verification that the following statutes exclude SSDI benefit payments in gross income and is not countable income for purposes of determining eligibility in federally funded programs.
Tile II Social Security Benefit Payments including Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI)
The Commissioner of Social Security Administration is to maintain and certify individual earnings records, i.e. wages (earned income) and tax contributions. To certify is to officially recognize, confirm, and make a documented record of wages earned and the amount of tax withheld, which is counted and regarded as an earned income tax credit or qualifying quarter to be appropriately credited to the individual’s social security account number for future return or refund of the taxes paid. This earned income tax credit is refundable as a benefit payment. It is a deferred wage system.
Social security benefits have been specifically removed from the category of earned income, because it was counted in gross income in the taxable year it was earned. The benefit payment is a return of deferred wages, or a tax refund, earned income, tax credit refund. It is classified as unearned income, but it is not countable income.
According to the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Tax Code:
42 U.S. Code § 1382a (b) In determining the income of an individual there shall be excluded-
(19) any refund of Federal income taxes made to such an individual by reason of section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. *
26 U.S.C section 32 – (B) For purposes of subparagraph (A) eligibility—(ii) no amount received as a pension or annuity shall be taken into account
26 U.S. Code § 86 – Social security and tier 1 railroad retirement benefit (f)TREATMENT AS PENSION OR ANNUITY FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES For purposes of—(1)section 22(c)(3)(A) (relating to reduction for amounts received as pension or annuity),(2)section 32(c)(2) (defining earned income), (3)section 219(f)(1) (defining compensation), and (4)section 911(b)(1) (defining foreign earned income),
any social security benefit shall be treated as an amount received as a pension or annuity.
26 USC §6409. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any refund (or advance payment with respect to a refundable credit) made to any individual under this title shall not be taken into account as income, and shall not be taken into account as resources for a period of 12 months from receipt, for purposes of determining the eligibility of such individual (or any other individual) for benefits or assistance (or the amount or extent of benefits or assistance) under any Federal program or under any State or local program financed in whole or in part with Federal funds.
26 U.S. Code § 32 (l)Coordination with certain means-tested programs
For purposes of—
(1) the United States Housing Act of 1937,
(2)title V of the Housing Act of 1949,
(3)section 101 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965,
(4)sections 221(d)(3), 235, and 236 of the National Housing Act, and
(5)the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008,
Any refund made to an individual (or the spouse of an individual) by reason of this section shall not be treated as income (and shall not be taken into account in determining resources for the month of its receipt and the following month).
The refunded wages are not to be counted as income. It is a tax refund even though the benefit amount is a higher amount that the amount withheld from wages. However, those wages were deposited into a federal trust and have since increased, attributable to accrued interest and/or dividend payment. The interest payment is also excluded and not counted as income. The trust account is an excluded resource.
42 USC §401(h) Benefit payments required to be made under section 423 of this title, and benefit payments required to be made under subsection (b), (c), or (d) of section 402 of this title to individuals entitled to benefits on the basis of the wages and self-employment income of an individual entitled to disability insurance benefits, shall be made only from the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund. All other benefit payments required to be made under this subchapter (other than section 426 of this title) shall be made only from the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund.
42 U.S. Code § 1382a (b) In determining the income of an individual there shall be excluded (19)any refund of Federal income taxes made to such individual (or such spouse) by reason of section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to earned income tax credit), and any payment made to such individual (or such spouse) by an employer under section 3507 of such Code (relating to advance payment of earned income credit);
(23) interest or dividend income from resources—(A)not excluded under section 1382b(a) of this title, or(B)excluded pursuant to Federal law other than section 1382b(a) of this title;
I am requesting the Department review these statutes and legal principles and if it is confirmed, to issue clear guidance to all Public Housing Authorities, property owners, and administrators of federal and state funded programs to ensure that these Social Security benefits are not unlawfully counted against low-income families and those in need of housing assistance.
Thank you.
Dianne L.
Hi,
I applied for SS benefits and Medicare, both were approved. I later received a letter stating my first SS check was going toward a medical premium, I assume Medicare, and the letter stated my direct deposit would come by a specific date. I checked SS online and my read: On Hold. I called SS and told the nice man about the hold and that I still have not received my SS benefits. He said I would receive my benefits this week (last week of June). I still haven’t received them and my SS account still reads: On Hold. Do I need to go to a SS office? What is happening? I would appreciate some guidance.
James
Felicitaciones desde colombia,sur america..sus informes son muy valiosos para nosotros que vivimos fuera de los estados unidos..muchas gracias.
Henry B.
Hi there,i am struggling to get an email address for someone at SSI.I want to enquire about the following.
I am interested in applying for the refugee program for South Africans.I am getting for surely 20 years an private disability pension.I want to know how will i be affected if i decide to join the refugee grou and be accepted to go?Will i be getting an Ssi pension in America?Must i supply an doctors letter?How does it work?
Thank you.
Dave L.
It’s not clear: does anyone respond to these comments? I’m trying to find the information for filing a complaint to the SS agency head about Direct Express.
I’m trying for months to resolve a problem that effectively is denial of access to my funds which is contrary to banking law.
Stl
Good luck. I complained about them saying I made more than I do, they think I’m winning the lottery every month 😏, they sent my complaint to the woman that said it and was arguing with me! So no point in complaining!
Steve C.
Is the SSA still recalculating benefits if you are still working an collecting retirement? In the 35 years used for calculating benefits, I had years of low or no income. I had a recalculation for 2023 tax year, but now DOGE is hampering the system. Will I get a recalculation of benefits for this past year? When?
Alice B.
I need a ssa email address to send some forms. Can you provide me your email address.
Gary T.
As a 70 year old and rembering the good old days which are actually bad because we didn’t have any computers and if we needed to contact any of our federal agencies it was a bit of a nightmare. But nowadays quite the opposite especially social security has been very easy to work with over the years. I have found the phone representatives to be kind and thoughtful and willing to set up a local appointment here in my city. I find it disgraceful that many in our new federal Administration are bad-mouthing social security Administration and its employees..all for some political gain and not really trying to be helpful. I’m particularly disheartened knowing that many of the knowledgeable and seasoned employees of security have been forced to go. Words can’t express my disappointment in this behavior. Good luck to you all. Gt, Boise
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