More than 100 million Americans have created a “my Social Security” online account that allows individuals to access the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) personalized tools and services, the agency said in a Feb. 9 statement.

“This marks a major milestone in the agency’s digital-first transformation to increase accessibility, expand service, and improve the overall customer experience for the public,” the SSA said.

A “my Social Security” account enables users to receive notifications from the SSA, request a replacement Social Security card, check the status of pending applications, seek replacement documents, manage benefits, estimate future benefits, and access other services without having to visit the agency’s office or wait on the phone.

Users can also access their most recent Social Security statement, which provides a summary of earnings and benefit estimates and is useful during tax filing season.

According to the agency, under SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano, beneficiaries can access their “my Social Security” account 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unlike previously, when the website was down for 29 hours each week.

According to the SSA, a growing number of forms no longer require wet signatures and are now available online. These forms can be accessed through the my Social Security account, making it easier for beneficiaries to submit the required forms.

For people not receiving payments from the SSA, opening a my Social Security account can be beneficial, according to the agency. An account allows users to view retirement benefit estimates for different ages and their spouse’s benefits.

Individuals can download a verification letter confirming they do not receive any benefits, which is often required when applying for loans, housing assistance, and other programs.

An SSA fact sheet estimates that almost 69 million Americans received Social Security benefits every month in 2025, with roughly $1.6 trillion paid out for the year.

Retired workers and their dependents, who accounted for 54.4 million recipients, received an average of $1,975 in benefits per month. Disabled workers and their dependents received an average of $1,581.

Social Security Customer Service

The SSA has faced criticism for its customer service. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the agency’s Office of the Inspector General asking it to investigate wait times for Social Security services, according to a July 25, 2025, statement from the lawmaker’s office.

“Since President Trump took office, his administration and Commissioner Bisignano have eliminated thousands of workers at the agency, closed regional offices, made the agency’s website less reliable, and implemented burdensome new requirements to access services,” it said.

“As a result of these changes, phone wait times have skyrocketed. A June investigation conducted by Senator Warren’s office found that wait times averaged nearly an hour and 45 minutes, with maximum wait times exceeding three hours.”

The senator asked the office to assess whether call wait times have worsened over the past six months, the method used to collect caller wait-time data, and whether the Trump administration was providing accurate data to the public on these metrics.

In December 2025, the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General published a report detailing the audit results requested by Warren, concluding that the agency’s phone service performance had improved.

In fiscal year (FY) 2025, the SSA served 68 million callers, a 65 percent jump from the previous year, according to the report.

In October 2024, the average time callers spent on hold before speaking with an SSA employee was approximately 13 minutes, peaking at 30 minutes in January 2025. By September 2025, this had been slashed to seven minutes.

“SSA’s publicly reported national 800-number telephone metrics were accurate, and its overall telephone service performance improved in FY 2025. The Agency improved performance because it used a new telecommunications platform and staff realignments,” the report said.

“The new platform increased call volume capacity and expanded self-service and automated options. SSA also used the new platform’s capabilities to identify in real-time ways to better serve callers, target training, and improve frequently asked questions.”