Following a nomination to the role in January, the Social Security Administration (SSA) welcomed former Fiserv CEO Frank J. Bisignano as its new commissioner in May. Since stepping into the role, the new SSA Commissioner shared a desire to turn the agency into a “digital first organization” likely with the aim of improving the overall standards of service delivery at the SSA through the use of technology.
As such, unrestricted access to online services is now amongst the latest updates and improvements that the SSA has been rolling out as per an August 22nd press release from the agency. Here is everything you need to know about this digital update.
24/7 Social Security online access
In mid-August, the Social Security program celebrated its 90th anniversary. In a press release celebrating this milestone, Commissioner Bisignano shared the following: “Our strategy is clear: serve customer needs quickly and completely, no matter how they contact us. We are empowering our workforce and embracing innovation to ensure Social Security properly supports the American people and remains strong for the next 90 years.”
Subsequently, as of last month, Social Security account holders will now have access to the online portal at any and all hours of the day. Previously, users would have had to work around the online portal’s scheduled down times if they had any routine tasks to perform. According to the agency, by providing 24/7 to users’ my Social Security account, it allows for “more than half a million transactions to take place in the first three weeks, when previously the website was down 29 hours a week.”
According to the SSA, more than 97 million people have my Social Security accounts. In addition to expanding online access to existing features, the agency also introduced several new features with around the clock access for account holders.
What can you do as a my Social Security account holder?
Being a my Social Security account holder can actually save you a trip to your local SSA field office in most cases as it allows you to conduct most of your routine tasks online. According to the SSA, account holders who are not receiving benefits can:
- Get personalized retirement benefit estimates
- Get estimates for spouse’s benefits
- Get proof that you do not receive benefits
- Check your application status
Whilst account holders who are receiving benefits can:
- Set up or change direct deposit
- Get a Social Security 1099 (SSA-1099) form
- Print a benefit verification letter
- Change your address
Additionally, now that the SSA is offering 24/7 access to your account, you are now able to conduct the following tasks at your convenience:
- View your benefits and payment information
- View your voluntary tax withholding information
- Read messages in the Message Center
- View your direct deposit information
- View your current address information
- View and update your preference selection
- View and update special notice options
- Access the Upload Documents tool
- Access i454 for Continuing Disability Reviews
- View your appointed representative payee selection
In addition to the existing features mentioned above, starting the week of August 22nd, account holders will also be able to utilize the following new features with 24/7 access:
- Request a replacement Social Security card online
- View your claim status
- Use the Retirement Calculator
- View your online Social Security Statement with age-based and earnings-based fact sheets
- View your Benefit Verification Letter
- View your form SSA-1099
In the press release celebrating Social Security’s 90th anniversary, the agency writes that through Commissioner Bisignano’s prioritization of data-driven performance, and a digital-first approach, the following has been achieved:
- Integration of technology to streamline phone inquiries and reduce errors
- Strengthening of data security following past breaches, with firm commitments to safeguard beneficiary information and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse
- Workforce optimization to increase frontline capacity while maintaining service excellence