Your Social Security Account: Check Access, Earnings and Benefit Estimates

Key Takeaways:

Start at SSA.gov when you want to reach your personal my Social Security account.
SSA currently uses Login.gov or ID.me for sign-in. The old Social Security username-and-password option has ended.
Review the earnings record behind your benefit estimates and ask SSA about discrepancies.
Getting account access is separate from deciding when to claim benefits.

An account review has three jobs: confirm that you can sign in, check the information in the record and understand what an estimate is telling you. You do not need to make a benefit-claiming decision just to complete those checks.

Use the current sign-in route

Enter SSA’s my Social Security address yourself and follow the sign-in options shown there. SSA’s account FAQ says the former Social Security username-and-password sign-in ended on June 7, 2025. Login.gov and ID.me are the current options. An existing account with either provider may be used; you do not need both.

If you cannot complete verification or sign-in, use the help linked from SSA and the chosen sign-in provider. Avoid paying an unsolicited caller to fix access, and do not send identity documents or security codes to someone who contacts you unexpectedly. A logo or a familiar display name does not establish that a message is genuine.

Check the earnings record before using the estimate

SSA uses your earnings record when calculating benefits. Compare the years and amounts in the record with the employment and tax records you have retained. SSA recommends checking in August to see whether the previous year’s amount is correct.

If something appears wrong, note the year, the amount shown and the reason you believe it differs. Recent earnings may need time to appear. Ask SSA about the specific discrepancy rather than assuming an empty or unfamiliar entry has already been resolved.

SSA says some corrections can be requested through the account. You can also use its official contact route. Forms W-2, pay stubs or other earnings evidence can help. Keep a copy of what you provide and the instructions you receive. AFT cannot access, correct or authenticate your record.

Read the assumptions behind benefit estimates

The Statement provides estimates of benefits you may qualify for. Before putting an estimate into a household plan, write down the benefit type, proposed starting age and any future-earnings assumption shown by the tool. Compare scenarios using consistent assumptions.

For example, if you expect to stop working before the starting age being modeled, check whether the estimate still assumes earnings during those years. Treat an estimate as a planning input, not an award notice or a guarantee that a particular amount will be paid.

Keep a short account-review record

The date you checked access and the official help route to use if access fails.
The earnings year last reviewed and any discrepancy still open.
The estimates you saved and the assumptions attached to them.
The next question to take to SSA before applying or changing a benefit.

Store downloaded statements securely. Keep passwords and recovery codes out of a shared budgeting sheet. If a family member is helping, use SSA’s guidance on assistance rather than treating another person’s credentials as shared household access.

Next step: review one earnings year against your records and resolve any uncertainty before relying on the related benefit estimate.