Social Security

The number of people applying for Social Security benefits is increasing significantly, so to make it easier for you to do business with us, we're offering you the same option.

Just as a bank takes precautions to ensure that the correct account owner is requesting an online transaction, Social Security has a secure registration process to make sure that only you can get access to your Social Security record.

Let me explain that registration process. To establish your online account, we'll ask you for certain identifying information, which we'll verify in our records. To further confirm your identity, we'll also ask you some personal questions that identity thieves would not be able to answer.

You may be wondering how Social Security has personal information about you.

We have much of it in our records, which we captured when you got your Social Security number.

We have information about you from your Social Security work record, claims history or other business you have done with us.

We verify additional information through a private identity verification service to make sure we're dealing with the correct person.

Be assured that we use your information only to identify you.

We will not maintain or share your personal information for any other purpose.

Once we verify who you are, we will ask you to create your username and password. To assist you, we provide a strength indicator to help you select a secure password. You'll also choose questions and provide personal answers to help you reset your password if you forget it. For example, we may ask you for your first pet's name or the name of your elementary school.

Once you complete the registration process, you'll have a standard account that will allow you to view your earnings statement.

In the future, as we make more applications available through the registration process, you will be able to use it to conduct other business with us online.

If you'd like, you can choose to add extra security to your online account by registering your cell phone number with us - but you are not required to do this.

If you do choose this extra level of security, each time you conduct business with us online, we'll send a one-time code to your cell phone that you'll need to enter in addition to your user name and password to get access to your account.

This will prevent someone else from accessing your account if they have your username and password, since they won't have the one-time code sent to your cell phone.

Please keep in mind that text message charges may apply.

That's all there is to it!

It should take you less than 10 minutes to complete this process online.

If you have trouble completing the process online, you can visit your local social security office to get help.

If you have any questions, you can call our national toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance.

Our online registration process really is very simple.

Once you sign up you can use it to start taking advantage of Social Security's online services.

Thanks for watching and be sure to visit us online at socialsecurity.gov!