General, Online Services

my Social Security: What to Know about Signing Up or Signing In

January 20, 2022 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: November 2, 2023

older couple reviewing information a laptop computerWe want to help you get the services you need as quickly and safely as possible. Your personal my Social Security account is your gateway to doing business with us online.

Whether you receive benefits now or in the future, you will want to create your personal my Social Security account or use the one you may already have. More than 64 million people already have an account!

Did you know you can use your personal my Social Security account to request a replacement Social Security card (in most states), check the status of an application, verify your earnings, estimate future benefits, or manage the benefits you already receive? Watch our brief video about the benefits of having an account.

We are committed to protecting your information and benefits and take this responsibility seriously. That’s why we ask for personal information to verify your identity in order to create a personal my Social Security account. We work with external partners to securely verify your identity. We do this to protect your data while making our online services easy for you to use.

Ready to sign up? You can now create your new my Social Security account through either of these two credential partners: Login.gov or ID.me.

  • Login.gov is the public’s one account for simple, secure, and private access to participating U.S. government agencies.
  • ID.me is a single sign-on provider that meets the U.S. government’s online identity proofing and authentication requirements.

A credential includes your username, password, and two-step verification factors. A trusted credential partner helps us securely verify your identity online.

Here is a brief list of some things you need to know when creating or accessing your personal my Social Security account.

I have never accessed my Social Security, and I do not have a Login.gov or ID.me credential:

Visit the my Social Security webpage to get started. You will have the option to create an account with your preferred credential partner, Login.gov or ID.me. Keep in mind:

  • You must be 18 years of age or older and have a Social Security number.
  • You will be redirected to the partner’s website when you select “Sign in with Login.gov” or “Sign in with ID.me.”
  • You must provide a valid email address and some additional information.
  • Once you create the credential, you’ll return to the my Social Security webpage for next steps.

I have never accessed my Social Security, but I already have a Login.gov or ID.me credential:

You can sign in with your credential on the my Social Security webpage and follow the prompts.

I have accessed my Social Security with a Social Security username and password that I created before September 18, 2021:

You should still sign in using your Social Security username and password. This is the first option on the Sign In screen.

I have accessed my Social Security using my existing Login.gov or ID.me credential:

You can sign in to my Social Security using that Login.gov or ID.me credential.

Please encourage your friends and family to create their personal my Social Security account today!

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About the Author

Darlynda Bogle, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

Darlynda Bogle, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

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Comments

  1. Bettie D.

    I have been trying to sign in so I can apply for another social security card because I lost the one I had during the move to my new apt. I think I read: your session has expired due to inactivity. I don’t know how to sign out so I can start over again. Any suggestions?

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Bettie. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. If you are still unable to access your account or encounter a problem with your personal my Social Security account, please call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. At the voice prompt, say “help desk.” We hope this helps.

  2. eugene f.

    My application was approved for SS on Feb.2. It stated I would start receiving benefits in June. I turn 65 on April 29 2022, BUT, I received a payment of $1669.00 on Feb. 4th 2022, why?

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Eugene. For your security, 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, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.

  3. Charles A.

    May my wife establish an account using my email address?

  4. Dan T.

    I am signed up for SS and am receiving benefits. My wife and I share an email address. Can she sign up using our shared email address as long as she has her own login credentials/pswd?

  5. Dee A.

    I am approved for SS Disability. A I able to get on a Medicare program? I am 62 years old.

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Dee. Thanks for your question. Medicare starts 24 months after a person receives disability benefits. When a person becomes eligible for disability benefits, they will automatically be enrolled in Medicare. We start counting the 24 months from the month the person was entitled to receive disability, not the month when they received their first check. If you have specific questions about your case, and when your Medicare begins, you can call 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. for assistance. We hope this helps.

  6. Leslie R.

    Your system is not recognizing my answers to my security questions which is very frustrating, now I am unable to access my account for 24 hrs! I saw no option to enter my Login.gov info when trying to log in to my SSA account. I understand we received a 5.9% increase on our SS check but I was told yesterday by a Medicare Advantage rep. that my Medicare payment went up?? I never received a notice regarding that increase, when were you going to tell me. I am applying for Medi-Cal and not giving them the correct information could cause my application to be denied! I have medical issues that I need taken care of and have recently become homeless. Without the correct information on my applications I cant get benefits I am eligible for! None of this is doing me any good right now! And it takes 4-6 weeks to get a statement mailed, sounds like you need to hire more employees and give Americans jobs!

  7. Sebastian P.

    I can not create an account because it says my SSN is not able to. I do not understand this. Please help. I will call tomorrow. I hope the helpdesk can help.

  8. Peter S.

    I intended to collect benefits at age 66+, and my application was received in Salinas, CA on Dec. 2nd. On MySS account, it has remained at step 2 “in process/review” for almost two months. What is going on, and how do I find out what is holding up the process? TY.

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Peter. We are sorry to hear that. For your security, 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, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.

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  10. Pamela M.

    Last year, I tried to log in to my Social Security with a username and password that I had created prior to 2021. Since my cell phone number had changed, it informed me that SSA would have to mail a reset number. I never received it. Today, I looked and my old phone number is still listed on the sign in page. I have requested yet another mailing from SSA. I won’t be holding my breath that it gets here. What other options do I have to access my SS information? I keep getting emails telling me to verify my income, but you no longer mail my statement at my birthday. I hope that you do realize that the people that need to use your website aren’t all tech savvy. Thank you.

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Pamela. We are sorry to hear that. You may find our blog, How to Change Your Second Factor Authentication for Your Personal my Social Security Account, helpful. If you are still need assistance or encounter a problem with your personal my Social Security account, please call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. At the voice prompt, say “help desk.” We hope this helps.

      • Brenda W.

        Please change verification option, even If try to get and create an account, we are prevented from doing so, cause for a manor error you are permanently locking access and even for a first wanting to create our online account we are unable to do so, because once we are locked out we don’t see any other inclusive method to unlock our accounts or to create an account for the first. Helpdesk is not helping because no one is answering. How do I use then the online account? I can’t.
        ID.me is just painful experience, in this digital era where we can have access but we are not able do so.

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