A New $74 Social Security Fee Started Oct. 1 - Here's Who Actually Pays It

The Social Security Administration (SSA), which is responsible for overseeing Social Security senior benefits, has announced a new fee schedule. The fees apply to administrative requests, like third-party manual Social Security number verification, copying an electronic folder, and requesting earnings information. The fees aren't a charge for beneficiaries and don't eat into your benefits at all.

Here's what you should know about the fees, why they increased, and who they might affect.

The SSA's updated schedule of standard administrative fees

The SSA published an updated schedule of standard administrative fees in the Federal Register on September 21. Those updated fees apply to any requests received on or after October 1. Since the fees apply based on when a request is received, it's possible that some requests that were mailed in late September may be subject to the higher fees if they are received on or after October 1.

The SSA provided supplementary information about the fees, explaining that the organization is required to review and update its standard administrative fees at least every two years. According to the SSA, the updated fees are based on its most recent cost analysis.

Who's affected by the updated fees

The fees apply to requests for information that isn't directly related to the administration of Social Security programs; in such cases, the SSA may require the requester to pay the cost of providing that information. The fees are billed to outside parties, like employers, insurers, courts, and background screeners; Social Security beneficiaries generally aren't affected.

The fees, some of which have increased, are an attempt to ensure that taxpayers don't have to subsidize requests that fall outside of the SSA's main mission.

The third-party manual Social Security number verification fee

One significant change centers around the fee charged to third parties to manually verify a Social Security number. As of October 1, that fee increased from $61 to $74. The request to confirm a Social Security number by hand isn't a charge for beneficiaries. It's also not tied to benefit applications or anything connected to retirement, disability, or survivor claims.

In addition to this optional manual verification, the SSA offers a free online Social Security number verification service. Registered users may use the service to verify that the names and Social Security numbers of employees match the SSA's records.

The full updated schedule of standard administrative fees

In addition to the updated charge for manual Social Security number verification, the full schedule of fees includes nine other items with prices ranging from $22 to $151:

• Copying an Electronic Folder: $75
• Copying a Paper Folder: $151
• Field Operations Headquarters Certification: $65
• Record Extract: $46
• Third Party Manual SSN Verification: $74
• Central Processing Certification: $30
• W-2/W-3 Requests: $54
• Form SSA-7050, Request for Social Security Earning Information: $49
• Requests for Copy of Original Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card: $23
• Requests for Copy of Numident Record (Computer Extract of the SS-5): $22

The impact of the higher fees

Since the fees don't affect benefit claims, beneficiaries are largely unaffected. Instead, the fees apply to third parties requesting information that doesn't directly relate to the SSA's core purpose and programs.

Of the fees listed, the earnings information request fee of $49 probably has the greatest impact. A September 24 SSA notice estimated that the organization receives about 66,800 SSA-7050 F4 requests per year, resulting in about 12,247 burden hours for SSA staff. The higher fee could help cover those staff hours, though it remains unseen how many people could pay the fee or decide not to submit their request.

Free alternatives to avoid the fees

The SSA offers alternative ways to get information and avoid the requests that incur fees. If you have a my Social Security account, you may log in to access your Social Security Statement online. The Statement includes some of the information that the paid-for requests offer, such as estimates of your retirement benefits, disability benefits, survivors benefits, credits to qualify for Medicare, your earnings record, and the taxes you've paid. The Statement features uncertified yearly earnings and contains no employer information; the $49 request includes more detailed information like employer names and addresses.

You may also sign up for an IRS Individual Online Account to view, print, and download your personal tax records and transcripts. The records include transcripts of your past tax returns, tax account information, age and income statements, and verification of non-filing letters.

Bottom line

The updated SSA fees are most relevant for third parties, like employers and insurers. The information the fees apply to isn't typically information that many beneficiaries need to access, plus tools like the my Social Security account may help you access most of that information online for free.

Monitoring your Social Security Statement may be helpful in keeping track of your retirement preparation. Consider sharing it with your financial advisor and checking it regularly to ensure that you're on track for retirement.

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