Table of Contents
Whether you’re nearing retirement or are simply a diligent financial planner, knowing how much money you’ll receive from Social Security when you’re eligible is a crucial factor in preparing for your retirement. By signing up for a My Social Security account, you can calculate exactly how much you’ll receive in your paycheck each month, based on your age when you retire.
This online resource gives you all the details about your current benefits, along with important updates and a whole host of additional, useful information. Your account shows you your current or expected future benefits based on your expected retirement age and your work history. You can also get documents for filing your tax return, a letter verifying benefits or change your postal address and other personal information.
Here’s how to access your Social Security benefits online and what information and features you can access with your My Social Security account. If you’re currently receiving benefits, here’s your Social Security payment schedule.
Create a My Social Security account
To view all of your Social Security benefits online, you’ll first need to create a My Social Security account. Here’s what you need to do.
1. Go to ssa.gov on your browser, scroll down and click More information about my account next Mine Social Security Account.
2Then click on create an account.
3. You will be asked to log in with your ID.me account or login.gov account, unless you created an account before September 18, 2021. Please note that you will need to create one of these accounts if you do not already have one.
4Once you have an account, you will need to agree to the Terms of Service to proceed.
5. Next, you will need to verify your identity. The Social Security Administration will send a one-time security code to your email that you will need to enter within 10 minutes to continue to your account.
You should now have online access to all of your Social Security statements and other data.
Social security information that you can view online
When you log in to your online account, you can view your Social Security statements. If you are not yet receiving benefits, you will see an estimate of the amount you could receive when you retire.
There is a table that shows your monthly benefit amounts when you retire. For example, if you were born in 1960 or laterYour chart can show retirement at 62 (early), 67 (full), and 70 (delayed). Note that these retirement ages may change in the future. The longer you wait to retire, the more money you can receive per month.
You can also review your eligibility and earnings information. If you worked for at least 10 years, you have enough work credits — you need 40 — to start receiving benefits. If you click Review your Earnings Record, you’ll see your taxable Social Security and Medicare earnings for each year you worked.
What else can you do with a My Social Security account?
You can do several things through your My Social Security account.
- Request a replacement of your Social Security card.
- Start your pension application.
- File a disability claim if you are unable to work for a year or more due to a medical condition.
- Calculate the benefits for your current or former partner, based on your income history.
- Check the status of your pension or disability application.
- Request proof of benefits that lists your payments or lack thereof.
- Declare your salary if you work and take out disability insurance with the Social Insurance Bank.
Want to learn more about Social Security? Here’s how to find out if it’s safe to share your citizen service number.
