How to Transition Your Social Security Account to Login.gov
Reading Time: 3 MinutesLast Updated: August 23, 2024
If you created a Social Security username more than 3 years ago, you will need to transition to a new or existing Login.gov account or use an ID.me account to have continuous access to our online services. We recently announced this news in a press release.
For step-by-step instructions on how to make the transition, watch this video. We also encourage you to visit our Frequently Asked Questions for Transitioning Your Social Security Username to Login.gov.
Beginning June 1, 2024, people who sign in to their personal my Social Security account with their username are given the option to transition to Login.gov. This blog provides additional information and guidance to help you with problems you may encounter. We’re also going to provide answers to some of the questions we’ve heard.
Who does this affect?
If you created your free and secure my Social Security account on or after September 18, 2021, no action is necessary because you already have the right setup. If you are among the 46 million people who created an account before September 18, 2021 and use your username and password to access Social Security online services today, you will need to create or use an existing account with one of our two Credential Service Providers (CSP) – Login.gov or ID.me.
Is there a deadline?
While you can still use a username and password to sign in to your personal my Social Security account right now, this option is going away later this year. At that time, you will be required to have a Login.gov or ID.me account if you want to continue to access your personal my Social Security and our many other convenient online services.
A personal my Social Security account provides tools for everyone, whether you receive benefits or not. You can use your account to request a replacement Social Security card, check the status of an application, estimate future benefits, and manage the benefits you already receive. To learn more, visit What is an Account?
Why are you making this change?
This change will simplify your sign-in experience and better align with federal authentication standards while providing safe and secure access to our online services.
What do I need to do?
To avoid any disruptions in accessing our online services we encourage you to transition your account now by signing in to your account with your username and password. Our online instructions will guide you through the process of creating or signing in to an existing Login.gov account.
Information about Login.gov and ID.me
Login.gov is your one government account for simple, secure, and private access to participating government agencies. You can use your Login.gov account to access your Social Security benefit information, services, and other information. And you can use that same Login.gov account to manage other government benefits and services. For support, visit the Login.gov Help Center.
ID.me is a single sign-on provider that also meets the U.S. government’s online identity proofing and authentication requirements. You can use one ID.me account to access government and private services. For support – Go to the ID.me Help Center.
For more information, visit our Create an Account page.
Please share this information with friends and family, clients and colleagues, and others who may need it.
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Tags: General Information, my Social Security, my Social Security account
See CommentsAbout the Author
Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
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Brian K.
Just signed in with ” ID Me ” and had no issues. Smooth as silk
What A.
I very nearly missed my deadline to file an appeal because i lost my phone number due to an issue with the affordable connectivity program. If your phone number doesn’t match the one you start your claim with, you can’t log in due to 2FA. There’s a link you can click if your phone number has changed, but the developers do not actually provide a working option. You just get bumped back to the screen that asks for the code they texted to your phone number on record.
Jim
Does not work. Asked to verify and system would not take uploads. System says cannot verify me but have had access since 2021. Shameful govern waste.
T.Y.
Thank you for reading our blog, Jim. For step-by-step instructions on how to make the transition, watch our 3-minute video. We also encourage you to visit our Frequently Asked Questions for Transitioning Your Social Security Username to Login.gov. We hope this information is helpful.
Tim W.
Did you guys hire Donald Trump to set this “system” up?
Jeff B.
Don’t you recognize this as the best the current administration can offer?
Guess you where expecting a diiferent result than the nationwide online account program ended up.
win
I used the old way of logging into ssa.gov for a few years. It worked fine. Now you have changed it for no reason and I can’t get login.gov to work.
Your system sucks. It is your fault. Stop blaming the public because of your failure.
Ken W.
You guys should all be fired or resign. Trying to get logged in is one of the worst experiences i have ever had with online accounts. You have taken a process that worked almost to perfection and replaced it with a nightmare.
charles v.
I have tried for 2 years to log in to my account. Everytime you send me a temp password, it says password expired…Finally 2 months ago the site took the temp password and I’m in. Great I thought so I changed the password and wrote it down! Guess what? Site does not recognize my new password. WTF I give up!! this site sucks!!!!!!!!
JAY E.
I have tried several times to do the TRANSITION to enter my “ACTIVATION CODE” thru the prompts to put my ACTIVATION CODE in, I even “reset password”, but I can only access MY ACCOUNT under the old method of “USERNAME and PASSWORD”. I keep getting an “ERROR message stating “WE CANNOT ACCESS YOUR ACCOUNT BY THIS METHOD AT THIS TIME” (LOGIN..GOV)… My “ACTIVATION CODE A-01025860 will expire September 16, 2024
T.Y.
Thank you for reading our blog. For step-by-step instructions on how to make the transition, watch our 3-minute video. We also encourage you to visit our Frequently Asked Questions for Transitioning Your Social Security Username to Login.gov. We hope this information is helpful.
Martha A.
SSA.gov transition to Login.gov protocol is really messed up.
Your directions are taking me around in circles.
1. First you tell me to login. The sign in for existing accounts indicates I need to enter my email address. I key that in.
2. The next line says “password” so I enter the password for my SSA.gov sign-in. As soon as I touch the “Sign in” bar, the program deletes my password.
3. So I go back to the top of the form where there is a note that says “The email or password you’ve entered are wrong.” BUT THEY ARE NOT WRONG! THEY ARE CORRECT AND HAVE ALWAYS WORKED BEFORE. I have now done this same set of steps 5 separate times. And the message continues by saying “Try resetting your password.” And the words in the prior quotation are underlined as I show them above.
4. I recognize that the underlined words are link, I click on them and sure enough a form appears that says “Forgot your password? (Which I haven’t but I will try changing it to see if a new password will make a difference.) Then, I fill in the email address box and press “continue”. Once I press “continue” I get a message telling me that my email address with a link to reset my password has been sent and to follow the link to continue resetting my password.
5. At this point, I go to my Google Inbox to pick up my email. I have an email from Login.Gov that reads:
I don’t have any other email address that has ever been involved with SSA.gov. There is only ONE email address associated with this website
AFTER SPENDING ALL THIS TIME DOING AND REDOING THESE STEPS I AM NO CLOSER TO MY GOAL OF TRANSITIONING FROM SSA.GOV TO A LOGIN.GOV AS THE ACCESS TO MY SOCIAL SECURITY INFORMATION.
T.Y.
Thank you for reading our blog, Burns. For step-by-step instructions on how to make the transition, watch our 3-minute video. We also encourage you to visit our Frequently Asked Questions for Transitioning Your Social Security Username to Login.gov. We hope this information is helpful.
B B.
Kudos to James G. on 7/31/24, nothing more needs to be said.