Step-by-Step Guide on How to Check Your Social Security Benefits

A look at the list of top-rated podcasts in the United States suggests there's nothing Americans love more than a good mystery. But while amateur sleuthing may be fun when it comes to some things, there should be no mystery about how much money you'll have in retirement.

Since most people will eventually rely on Social Security benefits as a key income source, you need to know exactly how to check your Social Security benefits to understand what role they'll play in supporting you as a retiree.

Fortunately, checking Social Security benefits online is simple and straightforward — no Sherlock Holmes-level skills required. Just follow these steps, and you'll have a clear idea of how to look up your benefits and manage your retirement money.

Can I look up my Social Security benefits online?

It's possible to look up your Social Security benefits online, but you must create an account first.

To do that, you'll first need to create either a Login.gov or an ID.me account. You'll need one of the two in order to access your Social Security information online.

• Login.gov is a centralized login for U.S. government agencies, including the SSA and IRS. To create an account, provide an email address, select a secure password, and use an authentication method such as Touch ID or an authenticator app.
• ID.me is a private company that operates a digital wallet. You can simplify sign-ins on government websites by proving your identity once and getting a login you can use across multiple sites.

Once you have your Login.gov or ID.me login credentials, visit my Social Security and click to either sign in or create an account. You'll then be given a choice of whether to use the Login.gov or Id.me credentials to do so.

If you already have an account, pick which one of the two services you're using and click the sign in button. Once you input your username and password, you'll be sent a text message verifying your identity before logging in.

If you don't have an account yet, select the "Create an account" option and then provide your email and preferred language. You'll be sent an email confirmation and can then move forward with providing:

• Your phone number
• Your chosen authentication method
• A personal password

Once you've input the required info, log in to your newly-created account and start learning more about your benefits.

What can I do on the Social Security website?

The Social Security website is a pretty useful one because it allows you to get a lot of information about your benefits and manage them.

Some of the key tasks you can do on the site include:

• Downloading your Social Security statement: This is a detailed guide showing how much you've earned for every year you worked, the total taxes you've paid to Social Security and Medicare, whether you've earned enough to become eligible for benefits, and how much Social Security benefits will be (including retirement, disability, and survivor benefits).
• Uploading documents: If you need to send anything to Social Security, like your pay stubs or medical records, there's a portal online to do that.
• Request a benefits verification letter: This is a letter confirming whether you are currently receiving Social Security benefits or have done so in the past. If you're getting a mortgage or doing something where you have to prove your income, you'll need this.
• See a projection of future benefits at different claiming ages: An interactive calendar allows you to enter your birthday, projected future earnings, and chosen retirement date to see how much you'd collect in benefits under different scenarios. You can also choose to compare benefits based on your own work record versus spousal benefits.
• Apply for benefits: You can submit an application online for retirement, disability, and Medicare benefits. You can also submit an appeal if your benefits were denied or check your application status.
• Update your information: Need to change your address, set up or change direct deposit, or print your 1099? You can do all that online as well.

The website is easy to navigate. You can use it to answer a lot of Social Security questions and do most other key tasks — except, of course, find a magic button telling Social Security to send you payments based on Elon Musk's earning record instead of your own. Trust me, I looked for that button.

Speaking of high earners, though, if you're one of them, you may notice that your Social Security earnings record shows a smaller amount of income than your Medicare earnings record. That's because Social Security caps the income you're taxed on and that your benefits are based on. For 2025, for example, the cap was $176,100, and in 2026, it's $184,500.

So even if you're earning a few billion a year, your earnings report will only list income up to the wage base limit. If you notice other income missing, though — like you made $60,000 but your record only shows $50,000 — you need to ask the Social Security Administration to correct that.

What if I prefer to check my Social Security Benefits by mail?

If you are 60 or over and don't have a Social Security account, the government will mail your Social Security statements three months before your birthday. You don't have to do anything to get it.

If you're under 60 and want a mailed statement, you can ask for one. You'll need to complete a form and include your address, the age you plan to stop working, your actual earnings for the prior year, and your current earnings this year.

It is way easier to just get your benefits statement online, so sign up for a my Social Security account to avoid doing (shudder) paperwork.

Can a stay-at-home parent get Social Security?

To qualify for Social Security benefits, you must earn at least 40 work credits. You earn those when you work and pay taxes on Social Security income. You can earn up to four work credits per year, and while the amount you need to earn one credit varies each year, you need $1,890 in covered earnings for one work credit in 2026.

If you stay at home with your children (or otherwise don't have a job that pays you income), you aren't going to earn work credits. If you don't have enough by the time you're ready to retire, you won't qualify for Social Security based on your own work history.

The good news is, you can still potentially qualify for a different kind of benefit: Social Security spousal benefits based on a spouse's work history. Spousal benefits could total up to 50% of your higher-earning spouse's standard benefit. You should be eligible if you're married or divorced after 10 years (and not remarried).

Survivor benefits are also an option if your spouse has passed away. These can be claimed starting at age 60, or age 50 if you're disabled, as long as you were married at least nine months before your spouse's death and didn't remarry before age 60 (or 50 if disabled).

When you log into your my Social Security account, you can find out how much your spousal benefits are likely to be. Go to your Retirement Calculator section and choose the option to "Calculate a Benefit as a Spouse" if you aren't eligible for benefits at all or the "Compare Benefits as a Spouse" tab if you're eligible for some of your own benefits.

Input the date you plan to start collecting spousal benefits, as well as an estimation of what your husband or wife's retirement benefit will be at full retirement age to see how much your spousal benefit should be.

FAQs

Bottom line

Now you know the details of some Social Security basics about how to check your benefits. Check yours today so you can understand what your income will look like in your retirement years.

That way, you can make a plan for how much to save to supplement your benefits so you avoid unpleasant surprises, like finding out too late that your benefits won't provide enough income to cover the basics and building the world's biggest garden gnome collection (or, you know, whatever your retirement plans happen to be!).

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