Get help signing in to my Social Security

Confirm the correct sign-in route

Enter through SSA.gov and identify which provider you normally use. SSA no longer accepts its legacy personal username-and-password sign-in route; its current pages direct customers to Login.gov or ID.me. Instructions written for the retired route can send you looking for recovery questions or screens that no longer apply.

Separate the type of problem

• A forgotten password or unavailable authentication method belongs with the sign-in provider’s recovery instructions.
• A general error or inaccessible SSA page may warrant checking the official service-status page.
• A task missing after a successful sign-in is different from being unable to access the account.
• An agency request for additional evidence is not necessarily a login problem, even if the request concerns an online application.

Use official recovery and support links

SSA’s account-help page links to the Login.gov and ID.me help centers. Follow the appropriate provider’s current recovery process rather than guessing at a series of workarounds. Do not give a password, one-time code, or backup code to this directory. If you need someone beside you for assistance, keep control of your own sign-in information.

Check browser guidance without assuming an outage

SSA lists Chrome, Edge and Safari as supported browsers. Its help page links to each browser's update and cache/cookie instructions. Use the instructions for the browser you have; account recovery remains with Login.gov or ID.me.

Escalate the unresolved issue clearly

Tell support which provider you use, where sign-in stops and the error shown. Keep passwords and authentication codes private. For account-creation assistance, SSA's online-services page says to call 1-800-772-1213 and say “Help Desk.”

If an application or notice has a deadline, contact SSA about that task while you seek access help. Ask how to handle the pending request while access is unresolved.