Disability, General, Retirement, SSI, Survivors

Reporting Changes is Your Responsibility

December 10, 2015 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: November 6, 2023

a picture of a hand on a laptop keyboard.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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About the Author

Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications

Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications

Comments

  1. Rosemarie G.

    Yes it’s our responsibility to make changes..But why isn’t it your responsibility to let me know when my husband died all the assets investments stock bonds settlement…and it was your responsibility to investigate the felony 2 drug charge that you ran to court and use that as the reason guess what I never had one and I an co owner of half of what you stole so it’s my responsibility to to let the courts know your incompetence and greed you didnt see the whole report was contradicting the out the who thing and the fact I never went to federal prison got convicted and paid a fine of 198.00 it was a joint my husband left in car but I’m already informing the legal staff you told lies to I’m also letting it be known I was never informed about court date and you INTENTIONALLY took my legal right to be heard.. so at this time you working about changes is the least of your p6

  2. karen s.

    I have been trying to change my addess by calling my worker for 2 months and he has never called me back.
    now I will need to change my direct deposit around wed march 3, 2020
    and what I understand is that address change and deposit change has to be done on the phone

  3. James A.

    If I get married and collecting ssi will my benefits increase if she is 64 and not working or collecting ssi

  4. Don

    My friend is not a citizen of the United States and is planning to move back to his country of origin.

    What is the procedure to have his social Security check deposited directly to his bank in the country of origin?

  5. Joseph S.

    What can a person do to retrieve a benefits check that was returned or not sent do to change of address with Social Security. For June/July. 2019. Prior to being setup for direct deposit.
    Thank you for any input.

  6. James L.

    Good morning. I have a question. My 17 year old son will turn 18 this fall (October 2020), however he will only be a junior in high school. How can I ensure that he will continue to receive his SS monthly benefit for his last two years of school?

    Thank you

  7. Anthony C.

    How can I remove the deduction for the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. I am no longer interested in participating in the program?

    • A.C.

      Hi, Anthony. Unfortunately, your question is a bit more complex than we can handle in this forum. For your security, we do not have access to information about your account in this venue. To get additional information on Medicare benefits, check out http://www.medicare.gov/. You may also wish to contact your local Medicare SHIP (State Health Insurance Program Coordinator) to discuss your options. We hope this helps.

  8. Shelly C.

    trying to get the w2C forms online to report earnings to correct SS#. How do I go about this?

  9. Karen S.

    Not sure if I am supposed to add a comment at the end, so I am testing this Comment box.

  10. Antonio C.

    My wife and I both receive SSA Retirement Benefits from the U.S.A.
    They are already directly deposited on our co-owner bank account, but…
    We need to CHANGE from our current Bank Account to our new Postal Account.
    How do we change our Italian Bank Account Information (IBAN and BIC code)?
    Is their a form or something we need to
    fill-in?
    I can’t seem to find it and download it, print it or send it online to SSA office.
    I have tried to contact my U.S. Counsel in Naples, closest to us, but don’t know if they will respond.
    Help needed, thanks appreciated.

    • A.C.

      Hi, Antonio. Since you are living outside of the U.S. you can contact your local Federal Benefits Unit for any assistance related to Social Security benefits. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this helps.

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