If you’ve ever had the chore of going to your closest Social Security office for, say, a name change or a replacement for your ancient (and MIA) Social Security card, well, I’m so sorry. The wait was likely interminable and the experience uncomfortable.
In pre-internet days, you had no choice but to physically go to a Social Security office for many tasks. Fortunately, these days you can manage your own Social Security profile and execute many critical moves yourself online.
Whether you’re a pre-retiree on the cusp of claiming your hard-earned Social Security benefits or a young worker decades away from retirement, you should set up a free MySocialSecurity account. It’s a prerequisite for many of the items on our list here. Plus, it’s a good way to protect against Social Security fraud.
Once you’ve set up your MySocialSecurity account, you'll be able to take charge of your Social Security benefits by reviewing your earnings history, calculating your benefits, ultimately filing for Social Security and Medicare and much more.
Let us show you how.
1. Request a replacement Social Security card
If your Social Security card is lost, stolen, or damaged and you're looking for a replacement, there’s no need to trek to a Social Security office and wait, and wait, and wait. You can do it conveniently online, and the replacement card should arrive within two weeks.
The Social Security Administration is still rolling out this service, and it's available in all but three states. If you live in Alaska or Oklahoma, you unfortunately cannot complete your request for a replacement Social Security card online. You can begin the process online and then finish the process in person at the Social Security office closest to you. You can also apply for a new card with a mail-in application.
You’re limited to three replacement cards in a year, and 10 during your lifetime, so safeguard your new card when you get it. A good place to keep it is in a safe deposit box.
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2. Request a replacement Medicare card
Maybe it's not your Social Security card, but your red, white, and blue Medicare card you can't find. No worries. You can request a replacement card online at Medicare.gov or the Social Security website. Sign in to your MySocialSecurity account, hit the “Replacement Documents” tab, then tap “Mail My Replacement Medicare Card.” You should receive it in approximately 30 days.
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3. Estimate your Social Security benefits
Hey, you’ve been paying into Social Security for years. It’s only fair to want to know how much you’ll have coming your way when you apply for the benefits. With your MySocialSecurity online account, you can quickly access and review your Social Security statement that the SSA otherwise mails once a year. (Here’s a PDF of what a Social Security statement looks like).
Whatever your age, it’s good to keep up with your Social Security benefits projections — for claiming at 62 when you are first eligible to take Social Security (the median retirement age), at “full retirement age” (66 or 67, depending on what year you were born) and at age 70 (the age at which benefits cease to increase).
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4. Review your earnings history
Take a fun stroll down memory lane by looking at exactly how much money you earned each year since you turned 18 with your MySocialSecurity online account.
However, the fun can stop if you spot an error in your earnings history. If the SSA doesn’t have that record correct, you could be shorted in benefits (and that’s one of the reasons your earnings history is available). Check it out, and if you see something’s wrong, report it to the Social Security Administration. There’s a link to contact them about errors.
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5. Apply for Social Security benefits
You're of age, and you’ve picked your retirement date. Now, it’s time to apply for the Social Security benefits you’ve earned. You no longer need to drive to a Social Security office or make an appointment with a representative.
Instead, you can apply online to start receiving your retirement benefits, and the process takes all of 15 minutes, according to the SSA. If there are questions about your application, you will be contacted by the SSA by phone or through the mail.
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6. Apply for Social Security disability payments
If you have a medical condition that leaves you unable to work for at least a year, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. On the Social Security website, you can click into the disability planner to see if you qualify and to apply for disability benefits.
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7. Apply for Medicare benefits
Turning 65 soon? Take advantage of the Social Security website to enroll in Medicare parts A and B. Note that your initial enrollment period starts three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after your birthday month. Medicare Part A is hospital insurance, and Medicare Part B is medical insurance, which you pay for (and can turn down). The Social Security website answers a ton of questions about Medicare options and offers you plenty of links.
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8. Check the status of your Social Security application
Have you already applied for Social Security benefits? You can check the status of your Social Security benefits application online, rather than trucking to your nearest Social Security office or trying to reach somebody on the phone.
Within your My Social Security account, you’ll be able to see your re-entry number for an online benefit application or appeal that has not been submitted, the date the SSA received your application or appeal, your scheduled hearing date and time, the location where your current claim or appeal is being processed and if a decision has been made.
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9. Appeal a Social Security decision
What? You were denied Social Security benefits when you applied? You can appeal that negative decision online. You have up to 60 days after you hear about that denial to file an appeal (the reasons for the denial will be in that letter).
You have four recourse options: request a reconsideration, ask for a hearing by an administrative law judge, seek a review by the SSA’s Appeals Council or seek a federal court review.
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10. Change Your address and telephone number
If you’ve bounced around a time or two in your career, make sure the Social Security Administration knows where to find you. You can update your contact information online via your MySocialSecurity account. Log in, click “My Profile,” then click the “Update Contact Information” button, and make and submit your changes. Simple.
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11. Set up or change direct deposit
Since 2013, new Social Security beneficiaries must receive their benefits electronically, and older beneficiaries can switch to direct deposit at any time. Setting up or changing your direct deposit of Social Security benefits online is easy if you have a MySocialSecurity account.
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12. Print proof of Social Security benefits
Before you go off and print your proof of benefits — online, people, you don’t have to head to an SSA office — you’ll first probably want to know what a Social Security Benefit Verification Letter is. Kind of self-explanatory, this, but here goes: Also known as a benefits letter or Social Security award letter, this document serves as proof of your retirement benefits. It includes your name, date of birth and the Social Security benefits you are receiving. To print it you’ve got to access it, and to access it you need (everyone, say it with me) a My Social Security account. Easy peasy.
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13. Print Your 1099
At tax time, you need your documents— and early-bird filers may not want to wait for their Form 1099 to arrive in the mail. You can print Form 1099 for any Social Security benefits received in the previous year from your MySocialSecurity account.
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14. Repay overpaid Social Security benefits
If your Social Security benefit amount was more than it should have been, and if your overpayment letter includes online payment instructions and a Remittance ID, you can repay online at pay.gov.
Benefits are overpaid when your benefit amount cannot be accurately calculated due to wrong or incomplete information. This can happen if your ability to work, living situation, marital status or income has changed and has not been updated.
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15. Get answers to frequently asked questions about Social Security
Do you have a burning question about Social Security benefits? Maybe you're curious whether offices are open or unsure how to replace a Social Security card for one of your children. Instead of trying to reach someone over the phone, or trekking into your local office, head over to the Social Security website, and tap the FAQs. They have answers.
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