If you did not grow up in the digital age, you probably remember receiving a statement every year from Social Security showing what you could expect to receive in retirement benefits, depending on your age at retirement. It has likely been several years since you last received one, thanks to Social Security’s push to modernize the way they communicate with the public. Now, much of the information you need pertaining to your current or future Social Security benefits can be found using the online portal, also known as a “my Social Security account.”
To use the portal, first you will need to create an account. Go to www.ssa.gov/myaccount and click on the button that says “create an account”. You will be directed to use either login.gov or id.me to create the account. I find the identification verification process using id.me to be a bit more user-friendly than login.gov, if you are unsure about which one to use. Follow the steps to create your account, and you will eventually be granted access to your mySSA account.
Your mySSA account has different sections for retirement and disability benefits and will give you an estimated monthly benefit for each. You can also access your earnings history to see how much you have paid in Social Security and Medicare taxes. The easiest way to file for disability benefits is through your mySSA account. If you have already have a disability claim pending, you will be able to see the date the claim was submitted and the claim status, and there is also a tool to upload documents that may be necessary for your claim to be processed. Note that once you have an application for disability benefits pending, the estimates regarding your monthly benefits will disappear, so I recommend writing that information down or taking a screenshot for future reference.
Social Security has also changed their policy regarding what business they can handle over the phone, and they will no longer update direct deposit information or make a change of address by phone. If you want to avoid a visit to your local Social Security office, you can make these changes through your mySSA account.
One of the advantages of hiring a local attorney is the hands-on assistance and personal attention you do not get when you hire a big, national firm. I frequently assist new clients with creating and navigating their mySSA accounts, so reach out for a free case review if you need help with your disability claim.