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New Year’s Resolution: Get a my Social Security Account

January 4, 2016 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: November 6, 2023

2016, silhouette of a woman standing in the sun, blue sky

The holidays are over, and a new year is upon us. Now that you have no more holiday parties to attend or gifts to buy, you’re probably kicking off the New Year with your resolutions to improve your life.

With a healthy, new you in mind, you got a shiny new gym membership and revamped your grocery list to add more vegetables. You made resolutions to better manage your finances and to finally start planning for your long-term financial security, which you’ve been putting off because you didn’t know where to start. Now is the perfect time of year to do a financial planning checkup. And what’s more, we can tell you the best place to start.

We have a solution that is easy, convenient, and secure; sign up for a personal my Social Security  account. You can do so from the comfort of your own home, office, or any preferred location. It only takes a few minutes, and once you see all the benefits of having an account, you will be so glad you followed through with this resolution.

If you’re still working, you can use your my Social Security  account to access your Social Security Statement to keep track of your earnings and verify them every year. You can review the estimated Social Security and Medicare taxes you paid.

You can also get a benefit verification letter stating that you never received benefits, received benefits in the past, or a letter stating that you applied for benefits, but your claim hasn’t been approved. If you’re currently receiving benefits, you can use your my Social Security account to get a letter stating your benefits, and to check your benefit and payment information. You can also change your address or telephone number, start or change your direct deposit, and get a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S.  And now, in several states, many can get a replacement Social Security card!

Managing your information has never been easier.

Sign up for a my Social Security  account today and cross this resolution off your list. You’ll be so glad you started the New Year right by taking these easy steps to have a better financial future.

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About the Author

Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications

Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications

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Comments

  1. dave

    Never mind, I found the answer on the ssa.gov web site. I put a freeze on my credit reports to protect against identity theft, and it says you cannot setup an account online if you have that. 🙁 With all the security breaches of online data that are increasingly rampant, a security freeze is a must if you want to protect yourself from ID theft, and I imagine more and more people are going to be freezing their credit reports. Unfortunately, your web site account creation page does not tell us about this restriction and give a workaround, or even let us know that was the problem.

  2. dave

    I tried to sign up today, and the site said “We cannot create an account for the Social Security number you entered.”. No other information. What’s the deal? What kind of things block it? I’m a pretty normal person with no criminal background and receive social security statements every year, and I have correct information about me.

    • R.F.

      Hello Dave, we apologize for the inconvenience. You cannot create a my Social Security account online if you have a security freeze, fraud alert, or both on your credit report. However, you can still create an account without removing the security freeze or fraud alert. To do this, you will have to visit your local Social Security office. Hope this helps!

      • Tim

        I had the same problem. I went to my local Social Security office today, waited in line for an hour, and then was told that they couldn’t set up my account because of my credit freeze. They said I had to unfreeze my credit to do it.

        • Kimberley A.

          I don’t have a freeze and wasn’t able to create one and I have no reason why. I also tried to call the number and was told I had an hour and a half wait. I have not received a letter in my social security statement in years!!!!

      • Al

        A person replied to you and said they went to a physical office and still were unable to setup an account!

  3. markhaddin

    thanks this blog

  4. Leah

    I handle the finances and medical issues for a 91 year old who is in a skilled nursing facility under hospice care. I have power of attorney, am on her bank accounts, make her health care decisions and have all of her belongings stored in my garage. All I want to accomplish is a change of address with SSA. After standing in line for half hour a representative gave me a form to fill out and sent me to get the lady’s signature, which fortunately she could still write. Then I was in line (with my walker) for one and a half hours to get to the window and be told I still couldn’t change the address even with the signature, her social security card and her other id’s. I do not wish to sign up to be a rep/payee and add additional burden to my life so my choices are: break the law by creating a “My Account” for her or just forget about changing the address. The latter is my decision – the funds are direct deposited and I can figure out the annual total by adding the medicare deduction to the deposited amount.

  5. Andrew D.

    Please – I tried to create a My Social Security online account for the very first time and get the message “We cannot create an account for the Social Security number you entered” and gave as the only option their general phone number to address this with a stated minimum hour wait. This is ridiculous and government at its worst. So tough luck for me and accessing my own information?

    • R.F.

      Hello Andrew, we apologize for the inconvenience. If you are having difficulties creating your personal my Social Security account, please call 1-800-772-1213 for assistance. After you hear “Briefly tell me why you are calling,” say “Help Desk” for help with a my Social Security account. Sometimes, it might be best to visit your local Social Security office for further assistance.

      • Al

        I’m having the same problem! I’m disabled and have trouble staying on the phone that long.

  6. A.

    My benefits were reduced by $243.00 in November & December 2015. Then I received a recent notice that says I SHOULD be receiving the original amount I was getting BEFORE the reduction in Nov. & Dec.2015. Need explanation. Thank you.

  7. Kelly M.

    Don’t understand why my payment history says there were 3 payments on 12/31/15, but I have not received anything by mail or direct deposited , have called multiple times no one seems to be able to figure it out, keep telling me, wait as little longer.

  8. whitefox42

    Anyone who is on SSI or SSDI with no other source of income did not have any money to spend on gifts for the holidays because the guidelines for what you get have not been updated since the 1970s even though the cost of living has skyrocketed! I am one of those and I tell you I don’t get enough to make basic living expenses on a starvation diet let alone a healthy one. It can’t be done. And I know that I get more than many because I had a good job before becoming disabled. This is a crime against the American people and is shameful for one of the richest countries in the world to treat it’s citizens this way. People are already dying because Congress didn’t want to pay anymore and in 1983 started denying claims left and right including disabled children, veterans, people who got addicted to drugs their doctors put them on then abandoned. This is why we have a homeless epidemic. But people would rather blame the victim than do what is right. When the poor, elderly, veterans, disabled, mentally ill, addicts, and children die, who do you think they will go after next? Statistically, the middle class is only a couple of paychecks away from the rest of those who “don’t count”. Wake up people! The rich, corrupt, self centered, and power hungry have taken our country away from us! Don’t let them. Do what’s right.

  9. Anupoma R.

    Thank for helping me for my social security

    • R.F.

      Thank you! We’re pleased we can help.

  10. F. A.

    Every time I set up a S.S. account and don’t log in for a while, my I D and password no longer work and I get locked out of the system. This is a big pain. Other online systems don,t have this problem, just social security on line.
    Frank A.

    • R.F.

      Thank you for using our online services! Please call 1-800-772-1213 for assistance. After you hear “Briefly tell me why you are calling,” say “Help Desk” for help with a my Social Security account. Sometimes, it might be best to visit your local Social Security office for further assistance.

      • Kevin H.

        @Ray Fernandez:

        Hire better programmers. Write better code. USE LINUX. A netcat (Ubuntu) said you’re using Microsoft IIS. That is WRONG. 90% of the world’s websites run on Linux. FACT.

        And if people are already receiving benefits… SKIP THE FUCKING CHECKS WITH EXPERIAN. I have been trying 30 times to sign up for nought. I know better people who can do this better IN LINUX.

        • Randy P.

          @poor Kevin Havens:

          90% of the world’s websites do NOT run on Linux. FACT.

          Kevin’s been drinking too much Linux Koolaid. FACT.

          WIndows runs about ~40% of websites, Linux about ~60%. FACT.

          Naught is not spelled “nought”. FACT. Even IN LINUX.

Comments are closed.