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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Marsha D.
I completely understand the need for security for this site but after trying to use my username and login and it being rejected I am quite frustrated.
Guy B.
how can i get a social security letter for business verification purpose please. Thank you
S.S.
Hi, Guy. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If you do not have a personal my Social Security account that you created before September 18, 2018, this transition does not affect you. However, we encourage you to create a personal my Social Security account. If you receive Social Security benefits and have an account, you can get a benefit verification letter, the annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) notice, and a replacement SSA-1099/SSA-1042S for tax purposes. You can also change your address and direct deposit information. If you do not receive benefits and have an account, you can review estimates of your retirement, disability, and survivors benefits, get your Social Security Statement, and print verification that you are not getting benefits. To learn more about my Social Security and our other online services, please read our blog. We hope this helps.
Dan
Please consider people who travels more frequently outside USA. When we are out of country, we do not have USA cell phones. SS office should allow us to use IP phones such as Google Voice where we can have access to receive the one time passcodes. Not everyone has access to US cell numbers. Give us option to either receiving the code via Email or even IP numbers so that we can manage our SS account from aboard. Thank you!
Nene C.
I agree with his concern. Please consider email instead of phone numbers to retirees who travels outside USA. I am one of them.
Thank you for your favorable action.
Barbara M.
I do not remember my password or the answers to the three questions you asked for
Georgiana S.
Please consider those with learning disabilities. A step by step guide with pictures of the screen for each step would be helpful. Reading those instructions already here in your blog amounts to reading another language that I recognize but that I have to concentrate on very hard to comprehend.
Robin M.
Hello SS Team,
Re: National Public Data breach.
There are MILLIONS of us USA citizens that are now entrapped in this SSN databreach.
PLEASE post bullet point instructions for ALL TO SEE. This is a nationwide security issues & affects all of our lives PERMANENTLY.
Please help with instructions of HOW TO REPORT Compromised SSN’s on a person by person level.
The reporting companies are sending emails saying to contact SS to report the compromised SSN… but they dont give links to YOUR page of where/how to do this. Time is on the essence. Thank you
Lila D.
Same with me. I have 17 SS breaches. I’m lost as to what I should do next. McAfee told me about these breaches, a d they keep coming, but McAfee just tells me to talk to SS.
Where do I get that contact number? Or would that just be AI?
Melvin L.
This new login system have made it difficult for users living overseas. The old system was much more preferable. For us living overseas for a long time we don’t have a US address or mobile phone so considerations should be given to get the activation code via our email address.
T.Y.
Hello, Melvin. Thanks for reading our blog. You can access your personal my Social Security account by registering and signing in with ID.me. If you don’t have an ID.me account, you can visit here and select “Sign in with ID.me” to get the process started. We also encourage you to visit our Frequently Asked Questions for Transitioning Your Social Security Username to Login.gov. Check out our Office of Earnings and International Operations page for more information. We hope this helps.
Pam
I am unable to log in to my account using my username, password. When I click onto “Forgot password/user name” and fill in info, It gives me my user name but for my password it says that my information is incorrect. How do I fix this ???
Stephanie A.
Me too! Has there been any answer to this yet? How do I see the answers when they come on
Sue
I have the same problem can not get in
S.S.
Hello, Pam. Thank you for reading our blog. If you need help with transitioning your account, you can contact Login.gov help center for assistance with Login.gov accounts, and ID.me support center for assistance with ID.me accounts. Call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Our National 800 number is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Please say “Help Desk” at the voice prompt. We also encourage you to visit our Frequently Asked Questions for Transitioning Your Social Security Username to Login.gov. We hope this helps.
Stephen P.
SSA IT Personnel
You have a problem with creating the new LOGIN.gov SSA accounts. I had a Login ID created below 2021.
I created a new LOGIN.gov account successfully and was able to see my SSA info. I logged off and tried to Login again to my new LOGIN.gov account. The login process stopped at a page that allowed updating different authorization methods, but would not login in to my SSA account information.
Please investigate and correct.
S.S.
Hello, Stephen. Thank you for reading our blog. If you need help with transitioning your account, you can contact Login.gov help center for assistance with Login.gov accounts, and ID.me support center for assistance with ID.me accounts. Call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Our National 800 number is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Please say “Help Desk” at the voice prompt. We also encourage you to visit our Frequently Asked Questions for Transitioning Your Social Security Username to Login.gov. We hope this helps.
Premlata V.
Hello Social Secure team,
As suggested by SS, I went to login.gov and since the had created account under this website, I signed in. I was so confused to copy the QR code or scan. When I am on my iPhone trying to complete login.gov, I just gave up, if it is too confusing for me, I can imagine how seniors with limited knowledge to use mobile phone will be able to do login.gov app?
I am 74 and have some knowledge of computer. Most of my generation and older people don’t have the knowledge.
Why can’t you have classes in the library and provide them computers, help them sign up? Most seniors don’t even have email accounts, and you want them to create and remember other IT apps like Facebook, X(Twitter), instagram, Tik tok, and god alone knows what else. Then comes to remembering username, password, security, 2 way authentication, QR code, how to scan, Orivacy settings and more. The SS or the government IT department is really messing up seniors.
I have been helping some senior friends how to apply for SS. Some seniors have already lost their pension benefits due to inability to create account with SS and complicated details to apply. Your agency needs to make things easier fir seniors instead of making it complicated so seniors lose their benefits.
Sandi L.
I agree!
Suellen
I agree it’s to much for seniors to work
It’s like elder abuse
Richard w.
I want to know when payment due on August 30th ?
S.S.
Hi Richard. Thanks for your question and for reading our blog. To learn more about when you will receive your payment, check out our publication, Schedule of Social Security Benefits. We hope this helps.
Jason
The IT vendors used by the federal government to interface with the public are not remotely qualified to execute this function. Rather than give these responsibilities the lowest bidder, I recommend hiring whatever vendors are supplying Amazon or American Express with public facing IT services as they seem to be far more capable than whatever incompetent outfit the government currently uses.
Ellie R.
This process has been done so badly. Even government officials (Medicare) thought this was a scam.
Philip R.
My bank promptly closed my checking account when a fraudulent transaction occurred. But SSA doesn’t allow the deposit date to change for 2 months. Now my retirement payment has been returned and SSA doesn’t have a record or it after 5 days. And I have been on hold to talk to SSA for over one hour.