How To Change Your Address and Phone Number Online With ‘my Social Security’

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With the Social Security Administration still working its way through various staffing and customer service problems, the last thing you want to do is jeopardize your benefits by not keeping the agency updated on changes to your personal information — including your address and phone number.

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According to the SSA, the easiest way to change your address and phone number is by creating a personal “my Social Security” account, which lets you update your contact information from anywhere. The feature is available for people who receive Social Security retirement, survivors and disability benefits as well as those who receive Medicare. Creating an account is a quick and simple process.

You have to be at least 18 years old to create a my Social Security account. To get started, first visit the my Social Security webpage, located here. Here’s what you will need:

  • A valid email address
  • Your Social Security number
  • A U.S. mailing address (including military addresses, APO/FPO/DPO, AE, AP or AA)

When you visit my Social Security, select the “Create an Account” button. You will have the option to create your new account with one of the SSA’s two credential partners: Login.gov or ID.me. Login.gov is the public’s account for private access to participating U.S. government agencies, while ID.me is a single sign-on provider that meets the U.S. government’s online identity proofing and authentication requirements.

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If you already have a Login.gov or ID.me account, you can select the appropriate button to sign in with either and access your my Social Security account. If you previously verified your identity with Login.gov or ID.me, you don’t need to do so again.

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If you don’t have a Login.gov or ID.me account, you’ll need to select the “Create an Account” link to start the one-time registration process. The SSA will complete the identity verification part, so you’ll need to provide some personal information. You’ll get an activation code from the agency to complete the process.

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About the Author

Vance Cariaga is a London-based writer, editor and journalist who previously held staff positions at Investor’s Business Daily, The Charlotte Business Journal and The Charlotte Observer. His work also appeared in Charlotte Magazine, Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal and Business North Carolina magazine. He holds a B.A. in English from Appalachian State University and studied journalism at the University of South Carolina. His reporting earned awards from the North Carolina Press Association, the Green Eyeshade Awards and AlterNet. In addition to journalism, he has worked in banking, accounting and restaurant management. A native of North Carolina who also writes fiction, Vance’s short story, “Saint Christopher,” placed second in the 2019 Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition. Two of his short stories appear in With One Eye on the Cows, an anthology published by Ad Hoc Fiction in 2019. His debut novel, Voodoo Hideaway, was published in 2021 by Atmosphere Press.
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