An official website of the United States government
July 12, 2024 •By Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated:July 12, 2024
We’re making changes to the way you access Social Security’s online services, including your personal my Social Security account. The changes will simplify your sign-in experience and align with federal authentication standards. At the same time, we’re continuing to provide safe and secure access to our online services.
If you created your my Social Security account before September 18, 2021, you will still be able to use your username and password to sign in. However, you will not be able to do so for much longer.
In the near future, all users will need to have an account with one of our two Credential Service Providers (CSP) – Login.gov or ID.me – to access your personal mySocial Securityaccount and other online services.
To learn more, read our press release. If you have an existing Login.gov or ID.me account, you do NOT need to create a new one. And, if you can access your personal my Social Security account through Login.gov or ID.me, you don’t need to take any action.
If you don’t have a Login.gov account
To avoid any disruptions in accessing Social Security’s online services you may want to transition your account now by signing in with your Social Security username. Our online instructions will guide you through the process of creating a new account with Login.gov. Once you successfully link your personal my Social Security account with your new Login.gov account, you’ll get a confirmation screen and have immediate access to our online services. In the future, you’ll sign in to your account with Login.gov and not your Social Security username.
Login.gov offers 24/7 customer phone and chat support to answer your questions.
We encourage you to make the transition to Login.gov or ID.me now before the username option goes away later this year.
You’ll find more helpful information here.
Please share these important upcoming changes with your family members, friends, and colleagues.
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Tags: General Information, my Social Security, online services
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About 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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Comments
Please review our Comment Policy beforeleaving a comment.
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S R.
What do you SSA mean by “soon” and “in the near future”? WHEN will mySSA account access be lost without changing to id.me or login.gov? WHEN is soon? WHEN is the near future?
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As for SSA saying the transition is “easy,” my experience trying to use id.me or login.gov my VA account WASN’T and STILL ISN’T easy.
So, please be more accurate and please provide more specific details regarding WHEN this change will be required. PLEASE SAY WHEN exactly account access will be lost. -
John D.
Is there anyone out there who have done this had it work? Also, I’m not sure we ever have to log into SS again as long as our checks keep coming.
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Vincent
I live overseas and don’t have a us mailing address therefore cannot activate my account. Am I supposed to borrow someone elses address to do it?
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SSA S.
ReplyThis is lame even for incompetent government bureaucracy.
I’ve got my login credentials. You won’t let me in.
Sent me a text message … input the text code.
Get a screen “Did you ask for an Activation Code that starts with A” I say NO. You respond with “Sorry we need to verify you.” I input all of the information and am greeted with “You already have an ID use it.”
No kidding that’s what I’m trying to do and you won’t let me. Because I never asked for, nor ever received an A activation code. I’ve been using this for years and suddenly you decide to completely screw it up.
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Val B.
My husband registered with login, I then tried to register (we use the same computer) and the new improved (joke) method only allowed for my husband. As soon as I tried to register it rerouted to my husband’s verification. The new method is very tech oriented, not user friendly, does not allow for easy use on both computer and phone. Should have tried it with actual users first at various senior centers. It more secure because no one can use it.
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Debra C.
I am extremely dissatisfied with this change for Social Security’s online services………due to the fact that a “separate email address” is required for each Login.gov account. My husband and I have always had just ONE email address…..(just like we have ONE “physical address” for all our regular mail). My husband does not like the “tech” stuff and also does not like handling our household business affairs; he never has. I, on the other hand, like doing all of that and I like the “tech” stuff…….so I have been the one in our household to always “handle” all those matters: emails, paying bills, keeping up with any types of accounts, etc. Granted, this has caused a few issues with some companies with us having the one email address……but it has been “no problem” for other companies (our bank for our joint checking account, Medicare, and……until now……Social Security. I do not want to have to create another separate email address for one of us and have the hassle of having to keep up with email at another address and weeding out the spam email at another address. And I should not have to. People should be able to “opt out” of this new process for Social Security online services. And I don’t want to hear the tired old excuse about “security” for emails. Why was this never an issue for couples when email did not exist and we got all communications at our SAME physical address (and still do get many communications that way)? When this change takes place, I would be the one required to get a separate email address (because my husband already has a Login.gov account due to his retirement from federal employment), and I would be using this email address for only ONE circumstance……to access my online Social Security account. I would like Social Security to re-evaluate this new plan and at least give married couples the option to consent to having identical email addresses for their Social Security accounts.
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Belinda E.
Not very user friendly, took 2 days to try to get to my account. I still haven’t gotten in, cause now I have to wait for days for a letter to come in the mail for another code. My old information didn’t work, that’s why I tried to work through the new process, terribly. Thanks for a lot of confusion.
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Dinpink
Do you really think most older people have access to the technology to take a picture of their license? My computer does not talk or take pictures nor does my emergency cell phone. I can not and will not justify the cost of this items that would never be used. Set in my ways, but not wasting money
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Nancy S.
I tried to transition to login.gov and continually was told my information that was asked for was not correct; however I have to problem logging into login.gov so not understanding what is wrong. Also did not receive some special code I was supposed to receive.
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C
This is complete BS! I have the necessary log-in info, but can’t log in.
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Please stop screwing around, and leave things the way they were!
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