Since its creation in 1935, Social Security has provided financial security to millions of workers and their families. We’ve evolved over the last 90 years as we’ve worked to meet the changing needs of the American people.
April is National Social Security Month. To celebrate, we’re raising awareness about the many ways we protect you now and in the future. This month, we’re focusing on:
- Educating the public about our new anti-fraud efforts.
- Promoting our online services and changes to the personal my Social Security account.
- Communicating our commitment to customer service.
Security enhancements
Safeguarding your benefits and personal information is very important to us. We’ve implemented new procedures to protect our customers, prevent fraud, and strengthen program integrity.
To simplify your sign-in experience and align with federal authentication standards, we’ve made changes to the way you access my Social Security. Millions of people who created an account before September 18, 2021, need to transition to Login.gov or create a new ID.me or Login.gov account.
If you haven’t made the transition yet, you’ll want to take action now to continue to access our online services. Learn about changes we’re making to your personal my Social Security account.
Also:
- Direct deposit changes can no longer be done over the phone. You can add or change your direct deposit information with your personal my Social Security account, which requires online identity proofing. If you cannot access my Social Security, you’ll be required to visit a local office to verify your identity and update your direct deposit.
- We continue to allow people to apply for benefits over the phone, but our new fraud prevention tools allow us to identify suspicious activity. When our enhanced technology detects irregularities, applicants will be required to visit their local office to verify their identity and complete their benefit application. If you sign in to your personal my Social Security account to apply for benefits, you will not need to come into a local office to verify your identity.
You can learn more about our identity verification requirements at What to Know about Proving Your Identity.
Online services at www.ssa.gov
Our many convenient online services help you plan for your financial future and manage your benefits. With a free and secure my Social Security account, you can:
- Add or change your direct deposit information if you receive Social Security benefits. If you get Supplemental Security Income or you don’t have a personal my Social Security account, you’ll need to update your direct deposit details at a local office or your bank.
- Electronically submit forms and documents to your local office to minimize processing delays.
- Access your Social Security Statement to review future benefit estimates for you and eligible family members.
If you don’t have a personal my Social Security account, it’s easy to create one.
Customer service commitment
Americans rely on us for timely and accurate services and benefits, and we remain committed to excellence in customer service. For example, we recently spent $16.5 million to modernize telephone services nationwide through our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.
In addition, to ensure we have maximum staffing available to meet customer needs, our employees throughout the country are required to work in the office 5 days a week.
We’ll continue to identify – and implement – additional ways to provide you with the best possible customer service online, over the phone, and in the office.
Please join us as we celebrate National Social Security Month and share this information with others and on social media.
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