How to Set Up an Online Social Security Account

With the SSA’s self-service portal, you can get benefit estimates, replacement cards and more using your computer, phone or tablet

Kenneth Terrell and Patrick J. Kiger,

AARP

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En español

Published June 16, 2020

/ Updated November 01, 2024

Key takeaways

With a My Social Security online account, you can access important Social Security services and information without waiting in line at an office or on hold on the phone. We can help you get started on your computer or mobile device.

What you can do with My Social Security
How to create your account
Update an outdated log-in
Protect against fraud and identity theft

Whether you're already receiving benefits or are years away from retirement, it's important to keep an eye on your account with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to ensure you will collect what you have earned. Tracking and managing your benefits is easy when you set up an online My Social Security account.

Taking a few minutes to create this account will give you more control of your benefits while saving you the time and trouble of visiting your local Social Security office or calling the SSA.

All you need for on-demand access to Social Security information and services is a computer, smartphone or tablet. If you don’t have one, ask a trusted friend or relative with secure internet access to help you get started. Your public library or a local senior center may also have computers you can use — just make sure to log out of your account after using a public computer.

What you can do with an account

Now that Social Security has mostly stopped spending out out paper benefit statements, an online account is the primary way people can keep track of their retirement benefits. About 86 million people have established My Social Security accounts, according to the SSA. You can use your account to:

Get estimates of how much your monthly retirement benefit would be if you claim it at any age between 62 and 70.
Set up direct deposit of your benefit payments.
Request a replacement Medicare or Social Security card.
Change your address or phone number on file with the SSA.
Verify your earnings over your career.
Request a benefit verification letter, which you can use as proof of income when applying for a loan or mortgage or for government assistance, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or housing vouchers.
Request a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S, the forms the agency mails to you every January for tax purposes that summarize your benefits for the previous year.
Check the status of a pending claim or an appeal of a disability benefits decision.
Receive notices about your benefits online (instead of by mail) and get email or text alerts when you have a notice available.

When you are ready to apply for benefits, you can click through to the claim form from your My Social Security account or go directly to the application section of the SSA website.

screenshot of social security web page highlighting the "create an account button"

How to get started

To create a My Social Security account, you must be at least 18 and have a Social Security number and a valid email address.

Here’s how to set up your account.

1. Go to the My Social Security sign-up page . Click on "Create an Account" (the long blue button on the left of the screen). On the next screen, click on "Create an account with Login.gov." Login.gov is a secure, single sign-in service members of the public can use to access accounts with participating government agencies, including Social Security.

2. Create your log-in. On the Login.gov sign-in page, click on "Create an account," then enter an email address and language preference. You'll receive an email at that address. Click the link to confirm your email and create a password. Your password must be at least 12 characters long. Don’t use one you’ve used for other websites.

3. Secure your account. Select the way you want the SSA to verify you're you when you sign in to your account. There are several methods available, the most common being multifactor authentication, where you receive a one-time security code by text or email each time you log in. If you choose this option, you’ll go through that code process as part of this initial sign-in.

4. Enter identifying information. You’ll be asked to provide information the SSA can use to verify your identity, and to read and accept the terms of service for the account.

Congratulations! You have successfully created your My Social Security account. Going forward, you’ll be able to log into your account from any device using Login.gov.

Log-ins changing for some

Prior to Sept. 18, 2021, My Social Security sign-up was fully done within Social Security’s website, SSA.gov. Over the second half of 2024, the SSA is phasing out the old sign-ins to simplify account access and align with federal standards for authenticating users.

If you have one of these accounts, you will need to switch it over to a Login.gov account. This should only take a few minutes and will not change your account information or affect your access. When you log in using the old method, select the option to transition to Login.gov and follow the prompts to change your sign-in credentials.

If you already sign in via Login.gov or ID.me, the SSA’s other provider for account credentials, you can continue accessing your account using those platforms and your existing username and password.

ID.me is the only sign-up option available if you have a foreign mailing address. On the account sign-in page, click on the green “Sign in with ID.me” button. You’ll be sent to the ID.me site, where you can create an account and be guided through the set-up process.

Protecting your benefits from swindlers

The SSA offers secure sign-in via Login.gov and ID.me to guard against identity theft. Scammers who obtain your Social Security number and address through phishing, data breaches or other means can go online and set up a My Social Security account in your name, if you haven’t already done so.

The threat grows once you reach age 62, the minimum claiming age for Social Security retirement benefits. Thieves could start collecting monthly payments in your name, and you might not find out about it until years later when you apply for Social Security. Only one account is permitted per Social Security number, so claiming your account early is key.

Once you create your account, scammers can still cause harm if they gain access to it — for example, by changing your bank information to divert benefit payments. Don’t share account credentials or multifactor authentication codes, and if you’re using a device other than your own, be sure to log out of your account when you’re done.

If you suspect you have been the victim of identity theft, report it to the SSA Office of the Inspector General or visit the Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov information site.

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Kenneth Terrell covers employment, age discrimination, work and jobs, careers, and Congress for AARP. He previously worked for the Education Writers Association and U.S. News & World Report, where he reported on government and politics, business, education, science and technology, and lifestyle news.

Patrick J. Kiger is a contributing writer for AARP. He has written for a wide variety of publications, including the Los Angeles Times Magazine, GQ, Mother Jones and websites of the Discovery Channel and National Geographic.