Q&A: Social Security Benefits Portal

Q&A: Social Security Benefits Portal

With U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Q: How can Iowans check their Social Security benefits online?

A: The Social Security Administration offers free and secure online access for workers of all ages and current recipients to check their benefits. Individuals may create a personal account known as "my Social Security" that allows you to apply for benefits, request a replacement card, check application status, estimate future benefits and receive notices online. The SSA announced security improvements that will require individuals who created an account before September 18, 2021 to switch to Login.gov. As an outspoken advocate for beefing up cybersecurity protections, I'm glad the federal agency is taking action to ensure online services are safe and secure. I'll be keeping tabs on the General Services Administration, the federal agency in charge of Login.gov, to ensure its compliance with federal guidelines to protect people's information and verify identities.

So, for those who opened their individual "my Social Security account" more than three years ago, you need to transition to a Login.gov account. To learn more, watch a step-by-step tutorial produced by the Social Security Administration at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMADyonYNTE. More than five million Americans already have made the transition, and the SSA is urging legacy users to make the transition before the previous system ends. If you're having issues making the transition, call the SSA help desk (800)772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For Americans living outside the U.S., you will need to create an account with ID.me to use the services available through the portal.

Q: What are the advantages of creating an online "my Social Security account?"

A: I hear from Iowans who are frustrated with getting their questions answered or having difficulty scheduling in-person assistance at local SSA field offices. The Social Security Administration serves more than 72 million beneficiaries who depend on their benefits and deserve quality customer service. I've pressed the Social Security Administrator about the agency's efforts to improve services. At a Finance Committee hearing in June, I also asked a Social Security field office manager how many of her employees come to the office during the work week. The answer: only five of her 40 employees were in the office five days a week. Although President Biden ended pandemic restrictions from the national emergency back in April 2023, many federal agencies are still dragging their feet to get employees back into the office. Not everyone is able to conduct business online, so in-person appointments are important to keep available in local field offices. For those who want to take advantage of the online portal, it's a convenient way to manage inquiries and check benefits on your own time. Opening a "my Social Security" account allows users to take advantage of personalized tools. If you're currently receiving benefits, for example, you can set up or change direct deposit, obtain a Social Security 1099 form, change your address and more. To create an account, visit the Social Security website at https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/.

In addition to my oversight work to ensure the Social Security Administration is efficiently and effectively serving the people, I'm also beating the drum for Congress and the White House to stop kicking the fiscal can down the road with regard to the Social Security Trust Fund. As the ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee, I've made no bones about it: Social Security is on a road towards insolvency, primarily due to demographics as the ratio of workers paying into the system compared to retirees drawing benefits continues to shrink. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, Social Security's primary trust fund will be able to pay only 75 percent of scheduled benefits by 2033. In plain language, that means if no action is taken to strengthen the program before then, current and future recipients in eight years would get an automatic 25 percent cut to their retirement benefits under present law. While there aren't cuts facing current recipients today, the sooner we get Social Security on the road to solvency, the better. Washington needs to take a page from history and find common ground to shore up the program that is part of the social fabric of America. The American people deserve another Ronald Reagan-Tip O'Neill moment. In 1983, the president and speaker of the House set partisanship aside to broker a historic agreement for the public good. Those reforms to put Social Security on sound financial footing were phased in gradually to protect current and future recipients. We owe it to Americans to do the same.

Sen. Grassley's office assists Iowans with issues they may have getting their questions answered from federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration. For assistance, learn more here: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/services/help-with-federal-agencies

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