National Check Your Statement Day
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: November 6, 2023
Today is “Check Your Statement Day,” one of the days during National my Social Security Week and Financial Literacy Month when you can get serious about planning for your financial future. Social Security has been here for more than 80 years, securing your today and tomorrow with information, tools, and resources to meet your changing needs and lifestyles. And what’s easier for you than going online to access an important part of your financial planning routine?
One of the advantages of opening a my Social Security account is having access to your Social Security Statement instantly. With your Statement, you can review estimates of your future retirement, disability, and survivors benefits, as well as the Social Security and Medicare taxes you’ve paid. We base your future benefits on your recorded earnings, so you should access your Statement once a year to verify the amounts that we posted are correct. You can also check it whenever you have a change of employment or wish to verify any changes to your benefit estimate.
Join the millions who regularly check their Statement. Log in or create a my Social Security account today at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. And then, help spread the word about “Check Your Statement Day” by telling your family and friends!
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Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
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Gus G.
How true is that military vets, from certain dates back, paid extra SS and this will be a fact to receive a larger amount of SS retirement when they are eligible???????
Rusty
I’m 38 and would like to opt out of SS. If letting politicians handle your retirement is such a good idea, make it voluntary. Successful programs do not need to be mandatory.
What a great idea. I give money to government, they hold my money until they determine when and how much I’ll receive. But, if I have adult children, and my spouse and I die, MY money will not go to them. What a great system! I have no control over MY money, and if I die, my family won’t get anything left over!
How about we continue to pay out the people currently receiving SSI, people who have never paid into it dont, and those who have not yet collected, but paid in, get tax credits every year until they’re reimbursed.
I’m realistic, and understand that posting this on the SS blog is going to be met with disdain. And any entity will seek to continue and sustain it’s existence.
But, I do not see where the US Constitution empowers the federal government to commence a mandatory retirement program.
And at the very least, it’s MANDATORY! Successful ideas and plans need not be mandatory. The free market has already answered retirement and crushes this governmental ponzie scheme which is well on its way to insolvency.
Clarence
“I recommend changing the Presidential Election Campaign box on the IRS Forms 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ to the Social Security Solvency box and donating the $3/$6 to Social Security. There’s way to much money from special interest groups, lobbyists and Super PACS going to election campaigns these days to warrant having the Presidential Election Campaign box any longer. It doesn’t need shoring up. “
If the “stubborn” politicians try to derail that then just Create a box right beside it asking taxpayers to contribute $1 or more to the Social Security Fund when filling their taxes. If game playing politicians won’t fix Social Security, “We the People will”. Thank you.
MARYLOU
you will be sorry you ever did that
R.F.
Rusty, thank you for your question. People generally cannot voluntarily withdraw or stop participating in the Social Security program. Only members of certain religious groups may be exempt from paying Social Security taxes. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions web page for more information on this topic.
John O.
Everyone check your statement today and crash their website.
G,Zymet
How will social security recipients ve affected when the May 1st law goes in effect??
John O.
If you already receive payment the changes have nothing to do with you, you’re covered under the old laws in effect when you filed.
R.F.
Section 831 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 eliminates aggressive claiming loopholes related to “deemed” filing and voluntary suspension of benefits. See “What do the Recent Social Security Claiming Changes Mean for Me” for more information.
Silvestre
As a female, because females live longer, you will be able to “retire” at age 67, 2023 with full'”benefits.” Do not take early retirement; it will decrease your monthly SS pension, and you’ll receive that initial amount forever. It will not increase as you reach full benefits age, because you “enjoyed” retirement early.
Clarence
Truthfully, you will get increases when our government approves a COLA. Don’t listen to Silvestre.
Dawn
You are right about COLA increases, but I believe Silvestre is saying that if you take the lower amount at 62, it isn’t just a temporarily lower amount for the 5 years until full retirement age. It will be significantly lower for the rest of your life. If you don’t live past your mid-seventies, it is nice to have started at 62. But if you live to age 90, you would lose out on quite a bit of money.
maria r.
I have an account set up. It was confusing at first because I already had an account setup on IRS.gov. It works out to be the same place. Once I got it rolling it was easy to fill out application for Social Security and I was enrolled into Medicare automatically at 65. (Don’t delay enrolling into Medicare). I even got a callback on my application which helped in deciding first month to receiving my Social Security. I just wish I could talk to someone who is not a sales rep to decide which way to go with Medicare (basic) with no drug coverage, or a plan with drug coverage. The rules keep changing about what is covered and what is not. I want to know my costs upfront before signing on anything like I do with Medicare. These costs come out of my Social Security so I should be able to know.
Marc
If you’re talking to “sales reps” then you are NOT talking to anyone at Meficare; you’re talking to private, for-profit health insurance companies who get subsidies from Medicare to sell their overpriced plans.
John O.
Read your Medicare handbook. Medicare supplemental plans are sold by private insurance companies.
Johnny D.
62 at a reduced rate. Born between 1944 thru 1954 you are in the elite baby boomers gang, ha
The Federal Government is very aware of this so we become the supporters in our retirement days. We will take ‘cuts’ in our checks, services, and every other damn thing they can squeeze out of us until we die down to a few hundred, then they will let up a little on ‘cuts’. Hell, we might even get a ‘raise’ in our SS checks, but don’t bet on it.
David M.
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DRB, S.
You need to raise the minimum ($750.) level of Social Security Retirement benefit that’s protected from other federal agencies to collect debt against. That floor has been at the $750 level way too long! It becomes a Major Problem, especially when inflation is present, like doubling the minimum wages for workers, which will definitely cause prices to rise sharply.
FRANCES R.
I most humbly agree we the people who worked all or most of our lives then to be injured on the job. To live on the same pay year after year is sensless and ridculous. When will the SSDI and SSI check see a (RAISE)
John O.
When the cost of living index goes up.
Clarence
Under the “Yes we can” (Hope & Change) Obama rein our nations elderly have not gotten a COLA pay raise 3 times since 2010. What a President… Now that’s a legacy!
Alvin C.
I guess not with a “no, no, Republican Congress and Senate, what can president do and recommend.
John O.
There is no such thing as a $750.00 floor to protect SS retirement from garnishment. Generally SS can never be garnished unless you owe the government money. SSI can’t be garnished since it’s welfare unless you are overpaid SSI and then 10% can be withheld to recover an overpayment.
Anita D.
Good afternoon – Folks –
When will I be eligible for “Retirement”?
my name is Anita Tina (Etsitty) Draper, date of birth – 1956.
John O.
Age 62 unless a widow, it’s age 60. Disability changes the answer. And I assume there is a work record.
R.F.
Hi Anita. The earliest age you can apply for reduced retirement benefits is 62. You can create a My Social Security account to review your earnings record and get an estimate of your future benefits.
Johnny D.
62 at a reduced rate. Born between 1944 thru 1954 you are in the elite baby boomers gang, ha
The Federal Government is very aware of this so we become the supporters in our retirement days. We will take ‘cuts’ in our checks, services, and every other damn thing they can squeeze out of us until we die down to a few hundred, then they will let up a little on ‘cuts’. Hell, we might even get a ‘raise’ in our SS checks, but don’t bet on it.
Bernadette S.
you are still not doing enough to stop thieves from stealing from people who needed it the most. I had worked very hard for ssc money, I resent these people that come from other places and fake illness to get disability checks when they are millionaires in their country. they come to get their every six go to doctor and get care when people who work hard all their lives get peanut to live on. YOU CALL THAT FAIR. MOST OF THE DISABILITY PEOPLE FROM HAITI KNOWS EXACTLY HOW TO FAKE ILLNESS TO GET DISABILITY.
Marc
It’s obvious that you have never bothered to read anything on the Social Security website beyond this blog,, yet you feel perfectly justified in posting false information that you have absolutely no factual information with which to prove your incorrect belief. Clearly you’re only repeating hateful rhetoric you’ve heard from ignorant, uninformed people who also have never bothered to make sure their hateful vitriol was in fact true before spreading it around like a disease.
In the time it took you to express your self righteous anger at people you THINK receive Social Security disability you could have easily looked up the web pages the SSA has online – on this very site – that explains in detail the procedures, requirements, and specific conditions that must be met in order for anyone who is PERMANTLY and TOTALLY disabled to even apply for disability benefits. Reading through the information, however, would take you quite a long time because the process of applying is extremely difficult and complex.
Most applicants for SSDI are turned down on first application, and even that takes over a year to determine, in many cases even two or three years. Only 30-40% of applicants actually end up receiving SSDI. Even filling out the initial application and producing all the required documentation can take MONTHS, and if you do anything incorrectly, miss anything, or miss a deadline, you’re denied. You do not even qualify to APPLY unless you’ve worked enough hours for enough years in the specified timeframe, and that instantly disqualifis ANYONE who just “comes here” from Haiti or anywhere else.
Additionally, you have to have one of the LISTED conditions that SSA considers disabling or you don’t qualify no matter how sick you may be. Then you have to prove with documented evidence that will be checked and verified that you are currently being treated and that you have been treated on a continuous basis by a licensed MD for the disabling condition. A “doctor’s note ” is NOT, and never has been, enough to qualify anyone to get disability benefits, ever.
Then you have to be examined by an independent MD that the SSA sends you to (and that they pay for). If that doctor finds that you can perform ANY kind of work in ANY field – even if say, you’re a brain surgeon but now all you can do is check out groceries – guess what? You are NOT disabled and you will not qualify. Period. You get t o go check out groceries, never mind your medical degree. Any illness that there is ANY chance you’ll recover from does NOT entitle you to disability benefits. What part of PERMANENTLY and TOTALLY are you having a problem understanding? Your disability has to be expected to end in DEATH and have lasted at least 12 months and that you’re not expected to recover from. Plus, they re-examine you every 5 years to make sure you’re still fisabled, and if THEIR definition of disabled changes and you don’t fit it any more, your disability is stopped.
As far as people “coming here” and “faking” disability, that simply can’t happen – and doesn’t – because anyone without at least a TEN YEAR work record here in the US with SSDI withholding taken out of their pay, AND enough HOURS in each of the required amount of consecutive quarters In a specified RECENT enough timeframe doesn’t qualify, either.
Nobody cares if you want to hate on anyone (even though it makes you look ignorant and bigoted), but when you are too lazy even to bother to find out the FACTS that are right on this very same website and you could easily see them with one click of your mouse, it only demonstrates that you’re fully aware that you are wrong and only want to blame and vilify others for your own failure to achieve what you wanted (or feel entitled to) in life.
There are many, many more hoops to jump through and steps to this process but I have no intention of wasting my time to post them here for you. Every single FACT about SSDI asnd the arduous application process are already on this very site where you have plenty of opportunity to see for yourself – from the SOURCE, the actual SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION itself, not the biased, slanted media, hate-mongering, talk-show hosts and politicians, and ignorant friends and neighbors who also have never bothered to check with the SSA to find information about the SSA – is on here. You could go right now and see for yourself exactly what the torturous, lengthy process it takes to apply for disability benefits involves. But I’m sure you won’t. People like you prefer to blame anyone and everyone else for their own failures, misfortune, or just plain lack of ambition or drive. But I will say it again – what you posted about how people get SSDI because they’re “too lazy to work” and how it’s so “easy” for people to “fake” injury or illness is FALSE. Nir can anyone come from another country and just start collecting disability benefits. That is simply NOT TRUE.
If you’re going to be angry about something, you might want to be angry about something REAL, not a fairy tale or a lie intended to control the minds of people too lazy and/or ignorant to think for themselves – or even to READ.
BECKI
OH MY YOU SAID A MOUTHFULL AND R SO RIGHT!!
Clarence
Stuff it, Marc. My dirtbag son-in-law fooled the system & was on SSDI for over a decade before he was cut off and doesn’t have to pay back a penny AND, is not going to jail. Yes, he did it cause he’s too lazy too work, but he’s working now cause they cut off that check.You’re the one that’s self righteous.
John O.
People from Haiti do not just come here and fake disabilities. First of all they’d have to meet the work requirement. And for SSI there are other non medical requirements, the I/R test, legal residency 5 years / sponsor required to support you.
Get your facts straight before spouting off.
Gus G.
But still a lot of SS leaches with fake injuries that is affecting the system for the people who broke or still breaking their backs to secure a decent SS retirement check…..I just say