Applying for Social Security online

[LXEX55]

Quick question about applying for social security online: how does one provide the necessary backup documentation such as ss card, birth certificate, etc. if you do the whole thing online?

 

[Teacher Terry]

So far they haven’t asked for it.

 

[braumeister]

They have a pretty good dossier on you, so it's normally not a problem.

 

[Another Reader]

Nobody asked for those things. I had all the necessary information I guess plus an account that I had used to estimate the payment.

 

[ivinsfan]

If they aren't satisfied with your documentation they will have you bring it in person to the nearest SS office. In my case when applying on line I got a message that I would need to appear in person but no explanation why it was necessary. They just tell you to bring "everything". Thanks to my reading here I realized the problem was my birth in a foreign country.

 

[rk911]

So far they haven’t asked for it.

X2. wife and i both applied online. got a call from SS a few days later to confirm a few things and that was that. no worries.

 

[donheff]

SSA runs a credit check on your SSN. I If your credit is frozen you need to unfreeze it.

 

[SumDay]

SSA runs a credit check on your SSN. I If your credit is frozen you need to unfreeze it.

We have not had that experience. Interesting...

 

[MissMolly]

SSA runs a credit check on your SSN. I If your credit is frozen you need to unfreeze it.

When my husband applied for SS online his credit was frozen. No problem. No phone calls from SS. No follow-up paperwork. Nothing. Checks just started hitting the bank account on time.

 

[SteveNU]

SSA runs a credit check on your SSN. I If your credit is frozen you need to unfreeze it.

I had the same experience I think when signing up for a mySocialSecurity account years ago with my credit frozen. I had to answer questions based on information from the credit bureau to verify my identity.

 

[donheff]

When my husband applied for SS online his credit was frozen. No problem. No phone calls from SS. No follow-up paperwork. Nothing. Checks just started hitting the bank account on time.

Maybe I got it wrong. When I signed my wife up for My Social Security, they contacted a credit bureau as part of the identification process. I had to unfreeze her to get it done. I thought you needed a MySs account to file online. I had similar problems signing up for IRS access and Global Entry.

 

[razztazz]

Maybe I got it wrong. When I signed my wife up for My Social Security, they contacted a credit bureau as part of the identification process. I had to unfreeze her to get it done. I thought you needed a MySs account to file online. I had similar problems signing up for IRS access and Global Entry.

My experience was I could not open one of those "MY SS Account" things online because my credit accounts were frozen. I went to the office in person. I have not applied for the money yet. I would think that if you have a valid, duly and properly opened online account, that had to be verified to create, they wouldn't need to reverify from ground zero by doing the credit agency checks.

 

[ivinsfan]

Maybe I got it wrong. When I signed my wife up for My Social Security, they contacted a credit bureau as part of the identification process. I had to unfreeze her to get it done. I thought you needed a MySs account to file online. I had similar problems signing up for IRS access and Global Entry.

Well the SSonline account does ask personal ID questions. Which of these addresses have you never lived at and a couple other ones. Maybe they generate these questions from credit bureaus. I hate those questions my SIL had the exact same name me right down to the middle initial and year of birth so every one in awhile we have trouble with something like this.

 

[MichaelB]

When opening an online account, Social Security Admin uses Experion to verify identity. If identify cannot be established the SSA blocks the account and one has to visit a SS office to unblock.

 

[MissMolly]

Yes, when first signing up for My Social Security they run credit checks. But we had signed up for My Social Security before we ever tried filing for Social Security and before freezing our credit so we had already crossed that hurdle a couple of years before. Since the My Social Security account was already setup prior to freezing our credit, there was no issue with filing for SS online. We did not need to unfreeze credit at that time.

 

[donheff]

As with others, DW had to unfreeze to get the MySS account but did not have to go through that again when she filed. I too have problems with the questions they asked. IIRC some involved mortgage amounts from a house long ago sold. PITA.

 

[jazz4cash]

Yes, when first signing up for My Social Security they run credit checks. But we had signed up for My Social Security before we ever tried filing for Social Security and before freezing our credit so we had already crossed that hurdle a couple of years before. Since the My Social Security account was already setup prior to freezing our credit, there was no issue with filing for SS online. We did not need to unfreeze credit at that time.

Thanks. Good info for me. I’m wondering what all the benefits of establishing the MySS Account way before filing. The main benefit is keeping hackers away, monitoring earnings records, benefit estimates whenever, etc.

 

[braumeister]

I’m wondering what all the benefits of establishing the MySS Account way before filing. The main benefit is keeping hackers away.

A very significant benefit IMHO.

 

[rk911]

A very significant benefit IMHO.

X2

 

[eytonxav]

To sign up for online My Social Security account, SS will check with Experian, so you must be sure to have your credit with that bureau unfrozen for that credit check to take place.