How to Sign In to Your my Social Security Account Now

Social Security's online portal no longer accepts the old Social Security username and password. Since June 7, 2025, the agency says Login.gov and ID.me are the only two ways to sign in to a personal my Social Security account.

The change applies to anyone who uses SSA's online services. You only need an account with one provider, and if you already have a Login.gov or ID.me account you can use it without creating anything new. You can even hold accounts with both and sign in with either. Each person must use a unique email address; sharing a login or email with a spouse or family member is not allowed.

Login.gov requires an email address, a government-issued photo ID and a phone number. ID.me requires an email address, a government-issued ID and a device with a camera, with a video-call verification option for people who lack a personal phone or use a shared device. Beneficiaries with a foreign mailing address are directed to create an ID.me account through SSA's Service Around the World page.

The agency says the switch is meant to protect personal data and benefits by having external partners verify identity, but it also warns that scammers are actively targeting the transition.

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Inside SSA's New Sign-In Rules and Phishing Risks

Why SSA Moved Away From Its Own Sign-In

The change took effect June 7, 2025. The reasoning given by SSA is straightforward: identity verification is now handled with external partners, reducing the risk of holding a separate SSA-managed credential. For users, this means one Login.gov or ID.me identity can be reused across other government services, which is the stated purpose of both providers.

What the Transition Means for Different Users

Most beneficiaries can use whichever account they already have. The real friction is for people who have avoided third-party accounts, lack a smartphone, or live abroad—they face new requirements such as having a government photo ID, a camera, or participating in a video call. SSA explicitly allows spouses to use the same mobile phone number on separate accounts, but not the same email address or login.

The Phishing Risk Is Part of the Story

SSA lists official senders including [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected], and it says marketing firms may also email individuals on its behalf. The rule for users: legitimate links point to addresses that begin with https://www.ssa.gov/ or https://secure.ssa.gov/ and contain ".gov/" with the slash. Suspicious mail can be forwarded to [email protected].

Steps for Social Security Users: Verifying Identity and Spotting Phishing

  • If you still use an old SSA username and password, create a Login.gov or ID.me account now; the old method stopped working on June 7, 2025.
  • Prepare what each provider requires: an email address, government-issued photo ID and phone number for Login.gov; an email, government-issued ID and camera-equipped device for ID.me.
  • No personal phone? Use ID.me's video-call verification, or choose multi-factor authentication alternatives such as a security key, landline call and backup codes.
  • Spouses may add the same mobile phone number to separate accounts, but must not share an email address or account.
  • If your mailing address is outside the U.S., create an ID.me account as instructed on SSA's Service Around the World page.
  • Before clicking any email claiming to be from Social Security, hover over links and verify the destination starts with https://www.ssa.gov/ or https://secure.ssa.gov/ and includes ".gov/". Forward suspicious emails to [email protected].