Reporting Changes is Your Responsibility
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: November 6, 2023
If you receive benefits from Social Security, you have a legal obligation to report changes, which could affect your eligibility for disability, retirement, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. You must report any changes that may affect your benefits immediately, and no later than 10 days after the end of the month in which the change occurred.
Changes you need to report range from a change of address to traveling outside the United States for 30 consecutive days. To get a list of reporting responsibilities under disability, please read our publication, What You Need to Know When You get Social Security Disability Benefits, and for SSI, read What You Need to Know When You Get Supplemental Security Income. If you’re receiving retirement benefits, What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits is also helpful.
Life changes can affect your benefits. You may be due additional payments, or you may be overpaid and have to pay us back because you didn’t report the overpayment in a timely manner. The SSI program may apply a penalty that will reduce your benefits if you fail to report a change, or if you reported the change later than 10 days after the end of the month in which the change occurred. If you fail to report changes in a timely way, or if you intentionally make a false statement, we may stop your SSI, disability, and retirement benefits. We may also impose a sanction against your payments. The first sanction is a loss of payments for six months. Subsequent sanctions are for 12 and 24 months.
You can report your change online, or by calling toll free at 1-800-772-1213. If you’re deaf or hearing-impaired call TTY 1-800-325-0778. Mail the information to your local Social Security office or in person if you prefer. If you receive SSI, you should ask about our options to use the automated toll-free SSI Telephone Wage Reporting Service or the free SSA Mobile Wage Reporting app.
If you receive benefits and need to change your address or direct deposit, you can conveniently do so by creating a personal my Social Security account.
Get the right check, in the right amount, at the right time, by reporting changes right away!
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Tags: retirement benefits, SSI, supplemental security income, survivors benefits
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Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
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Mary G.
When you are on social security disability and worked part time. Than you have to quit and you might want to cash out your 401k. Do you need to report that? And if so will it affect your benefits? I will be 64 this year and I would like to also know if my disability will continue or go to regular social security at age 66?
Steven M.
I was told by a SSI employee that a check that I received would affect my benefit for 1 month if I spent the funds . I asked if I could pay back loans to family and friends , he said yes and to get a receipt that I paid them . I did and when I went back to ssa I was told that they are not ” bonified loans ” and I will not receive a my monthly checks for 7 months . They don’t care what the other employee says . The money is gone , I did exactly what I was told to do , I even had recorded the conversation. The check was a payment that they owed me from back in 2014 . And since the check was written on the 30th that automatically counts for that month also even though I didn’t receive it in the mail until the 4th of the following month .
Pam s.
If one car doesn’t count against you as a resource, then what happens if you no longer have that car. Do you still have to let ssi know?
John J.
I wish to report the death of my sister Mrs Christine McAfee at 9.15 am on the 21 January 2020 scoial sucurity No 107462144 I would like to know what actions I have to take on ths matter.
my name is John Jorgensen on 0044 208 876 4153 adderss 36 Coval Gardens London SW14 7DG mobile no +447801023638 email: jorgensenjohna@aol.com
Janine
If I am more stable and able to pay bills by myself and effectively do I still need a beneficiary I am having no trouble with my current one just feel like it’s time I take the burden off him I was 20 when my father helped me get assistance he is now retired and I’m 42 and feel I can always ask his help if need be
Janine
If I am more stable and able to pay bills by myself and effectively do I still need a beneficiary I am having no trouble with my current one just feel like it’s time I take the burden off him I was 20 when my father helped me get assistance he is now retired and I’m 42 and feel I can always ask his help if need be
A.C.
Hi, Janine. Thanks for your question. It sounds like you are asking about a representative payee. If so, you have the right to receive your own Social Security check unless the Social Security Administration (SSA) believes you are not capable of managing or directing the management of your money. If you have a representative payee because of a physical or a mental disability, in order to become your own payee, you must show SSA that you are now mentally and physically able to handle your money yourself. You could provide: A doctor’s statement that there has been a change in your condition and that the doctor believes you are able to care for yourself; or an official copy of a court order saying that the court believes that you can take care of yourself; or other evidence that shows your ability to take care of yourself. For more information, visit here. We hope this helps.
SHEILA H.
am unable to get a replacement card because it says the address is wrong. am unable to find my profile to verify.
A.C.
Hi, Sheila. We are sorry to hear you have had difficulty accessing your personal my Social Security account. If you are still unable to access an account or encounter a problem with your personal my Social Security account, you may:
•Call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. At the voice prompt, say “helpdesk”; or
•Contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Lori M.
I need to change my email address
A.C.
Hi, Lori. You can change your email address within the settings section in your personal my Social Security account. . If you encounter a problem with your personal my Social Security account, you may:
•Call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. At the voice prompt, say “helpdesk”; or
•Contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Linda C.
I need to change name on 2 w2’s I summited, I have tried to file w2c for them but can not get to them. I summited them 01/10/2020. Do I have to mail them?
Ray M.
I want to make an appointment to change my wife’s last name we just got merried in Nov 2019 so how do I make the appointment
A.C.
Hi, Ray. Generally, appointments are not needed to apply for Social Security cards. In order for your wife to change her name on her Social Security card, she must show us a document that proves her legal name change. If the document she provides as evidence of a legal name change does not give us enough information to identify her in our records, she must show us an identity document in her old name (as shown in our records). It is the identity document (also known as her ID) that we will accept if it has expired; however, we still will need to see proof (legal document) of the name change. We offer the option for her to mail her completed application with original or certified documents to her local Social Security office. For more information about how and what to submit, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.