Take Control with Social Security Online
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: November 2, 2023
We continue to add more services you can access through your secure my Social Security account.
Use your personal my Social Security account to check your Social Security record and complete your business conveniently and securely from home or on the go.
If you do not currently receive benefits, you can:
- Request a replacement Social Security card.
- Review your earnings history for accuracy.
- See an estimate of your future Social Security benefits to help you plan when to start receiving benefits.
- Compare benefit amounts depending on what age you start receiving benefits.
- Check the status of your Social Security application.
If you already receive benefits, you can:
- Get a benefit verification or proof of income letter.
- Request a replacement Social Security or Medicare card.
- Set up or change direct deposit.
- Change your address.
- Get a replacement Social Security 1099 form (SSA-1099).
- Opt-out of certain mailed notices.
Your personal my Social Security account includes a secure Message Center where you can receive communications from us. For example, you can view your annual cost-of-living adjustments before you would normally receive them in the mail. You can also opt-out of receiving notices by mail that are available online.
We designed these online features to save you time. You can create your personal my Social Security account today.
We offer many other online resources on our Online Services page. Please let friends and family know they can access them from the comfort of their home or office – and on the go from their mobile phones.
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Tags: General Information, my Social Security, my Social Security account, online services, Social Security benefits
See CommentsAbout the Author
Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
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ryan
when will ss benefits be available on prepaid reloadable visa card every month
V.V.
Hi Ryan, thanks for using our blog. There are two ways you can receive your benefits: into an existing bank account via Direct Deposit or onto a Direct Express® Debit Mastercard®. Check out our Social Security Direct Deposit web page for more details.
Kathy
I have been trying to access my account and have not been successful. Tried looking up my User ID and resetting password and nothing has helped. Call the help desk and was told no one was available to help. Tried to request a call back and was denied.
Please help with further directions
V.V.
We are sorry to hear about the difficulties you are experiencing, Kathy. If you created a my Social Security account before September 18, 2021, go to http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount and click on “Sign In” where you enter your username and password. If you created a my Social Security account on September 18, 2021 or later, you sign in using login.gov or id.me because that is what you used to create your account. If you continue to have difficulties, call our dedicated my Social Security Hotline at 1-800-772-1213, and say “helpdesk” at the voice prompt. The help desk is available to callers between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). You can also contact your local Social Security office directly. Look for the general inquiry telephone number using our Social Security Office Locator link. We hope this helps.
William L.
I am 82 and just recently retired. My wife still works full-time. How will this affect our tax filing? We have been filing joint returns. Should we still file joint or do we need to file single now?
V.V.
Hi William, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. For information about taxation of benefits, visit our Income Taxes And Your Social Security Benefits web page. We hope this is helpful!
Lora L.
I am in desperate need of help ! I have called my local office 8x and they keep handing my info to another worker who still hasn’t helped me … I filed a SSA-44 on Dec 9 th , I was even called to send in additional paperwork , which they recvd on December 11 .. our appeal was approved , and I recvd my letter stating I would owe Medicare 0 and Irma 0 , now weeks later I continue to recv Billings for Jan , Feb … exorbitant amounts of &$ that I can’t afford to pay . The SS office is unable to give me any explanation or help ! Again I left a message for a response . I spent over an hour with Medicare about my problem , my husbands is all in order , but they SS sent nothing on my behalf ? I think great confusion is happening in this Waukegan office , and I’d be happy to resend in original paperwork , if I could just talk to a supervisor I think it would help ? Can you Advise ? Please!
V.V.
Hi Lora. Thanks for using our blog. We apologize for the difficult time you are experiencing working with Social Security. We have referred your complaint to our Office of Operations to follow up and to take corrective action as necessary.
Lucie W.
Call a attorney and ask him what to do.
Contact the Senator in your state.
Alan C.
I live abroad but my Social Security account only accept domestic home address so I cannot create the account. Is there any other way to allow me to do it?
V.V.
Hi Alan, thanks for using our blog. We recommend that individuals living outside the United States contact the nearest Federal Benefit Unit in the area for any assistance related to Social Security programs and benefits. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad.
Alan C.
Thank you Vonda. I have solved the problem by creating an ID.me account. Now I can access my social security account by singing in with ID.me.
Bernard F.
How do I change my tax withholding?
V.V.
Hi Bernard, thanks for using our blog. To change your tax withholding, you will need to complete another form W-4V. You can download the form or call the IRS toll-free at 1-800-829-3676 and ask for Form W-4V. When you complete the form, you can choose to have 7, 10, 12, or 22 percent of your monthly benefit withheld for taxes. Mail the completed, signed form to your local Social Security office. Use our Social Security Office Locator to obtain their mailing address.
Check out our Withholding Income Tax From Your Social Security Benefits web page for more information. We hope this is helpful!
Kathi M.
Hi, I am trying to help my friend and we are running into road blocks. She has applied and been approved for a senior apartment but she has lost her social security card. I helped her request a replacement card, but it seems that she won’t receive it quick enough for the landlord. The landlord told us that if we could just get anything from SSA that shows her SSN, that would be good enough to proceed. We have tried to call every number listed for SSA and only get recordings and then eventually after about 20 to 30 minutes on hold, we get a recording that says that all representatives are still and to call again at a later time, then hangs up. Any suggestions??
Aryt A.
I’ve had the same problem, with inability to connect by phone, both with the main number and my local office. Presumably many thousands of people are being negatively impacted by this complete failure to provide service. Some issues are not possible to address online, and I’ve been told that processing of mailed information can take as long as six weeks. Clearly no one from the Administration is even monitoring comments on their own blog!
V.V.
Hi Kathi, thanks for using our blog. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 where we have representatives available from 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. business days. You can also call your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information.
Aryt A.
Those are the numbers with which I was unable to get through! What numbers do you suppose we are referring to?! If one looks at the comments at your Facebook page, there are bitter complaints from people who have spent *hours* on hold without ever being able to reach a representative, both at the national and local numbers. Your agency is extremely dysfunctional. I’ve now written to Senator Warren’s office about all of this.
Aryt A.
I did now get through to someone at the Cambridge office, who was very helpful and took care of my problem.
Bob
She should not have to show her actual SSN card. Once she put her SSN on her application the rental company can run the credit report. They will know if she gave the correct number when they run the report.
Maxidoine A.
How hard it is to create an account with My Social Security!
Kathi M.
Not hard at all, just follow the instructions!
John D.
Apparently not, because it tells me it couldn’t verify my information and locked me out…
Lucie W.
Me too lol 😆
Gabriel R.
My Social Security should publish along with amount to be paid it medical deductions to be taken out off the check for each individual.
Martha R.
Social security is a wonderful program. My husband and I are having a hard time paying the bills. Social security
Needs to be increased. When one of us dies, there is not enough for one person to live on, Please do something to protect widows and widower. This is
Not going to get any better. Only worse with the costs of everything going up.
Jim
Martha, Social Security was never meant to be 100% of what you need to live in retirement, it is about 40% for the average worker. You need to have savings, IRA, ROTH, pensions, investments etc. to cover the rest.
There are other state run programs that can help you with necessities like cash assistance (TANF), child support programs, child care, energy or utility assistance, food assistance, medical assistance, and vocational rehabilitation services. Each state is different but if you look for welfare programs in your state you should be able to find contact numbers to call for assistance.