Almost amusing experience with the Social Security Administration

[AudiDudi]

Personally I couldn’t imagine not being able to access my account online.

Had it for 13 years - Been drawing SS for ~8 yrs. (4 yrs spousal and ~4yrs mine) It looks like I haven't accessed the acct since 2018. (last pwd change) Why would I need to access the acct online now? Regardless if I could have accessd the account, I could not have corrected the error in their records online - it required an in person visit and presenting a birth certificate.

 

[COcheesehead]

Had it for 13 years - Been drawing SS for ~8 yrs. (4 yrs spousal and ~4yrs mine) It looks like I haven't accessed the acct since 2018. (last pwd change) Why would I need to access the acct online now? Regardless if I could have accessd the account, I could not have corrected the error in their records online - it required an in person visit and presenting a birth certificate.

I get all my messages from SS online including cost of living increase notices, income reports, withholding, notices of any changes, issues, things of importance.
You said you aren’t getting paper either so how do you find out these things?

 

[Koolau]

Background: I don't have a gov login account so can no longer access my Social Security account. A couple years ago I stopped receiving any paper mail from SSA, including no 1099s.

About a month ago, I called SSA to get them to send paper mail. While going through the "verifying I'm really me" portion of the phone call, we hit a snag in that they had the wrong city listed for where I was born. The person I was talking to said I would need to physically go into an SSA office to prove who I was.

Two days ago I had the appt. I got there about 25 minutes early and was seen about 15 minutes early. I had my birth certificate with mewhich clearly showed their information to be incorrect. We figured out that when they converted the paper documents over to digital (it sounded like physical transcribing!) they had used the city listed where my parents lived instead of the actual hospital address which was in a different city/county. The lady then printed out a 1099 for me.

I actually left about 2 minutes before my original appt time. I am wondering how I was able to apply for SS as they must have asked for city of birth to verify ID and my anser would not hav ematchewd their record. Overall, a very pleasant experience.

I had a similar experience. When I tried to apply for Medicare online, I got a fairly involved message about problems with previous residences and that I would have to go in person.

Scheduled an appointment - when I was called back (a few minutes early) the agent held up his hand to keep me from talking for a minute as he typed and then said - I was able to read your file and it's fixed. Need anything else?

cool

These stories are why I've always preferred the B&M experience to using the NET for gummint business. In general, the folks who actually do the w*rk seem to be able to figure things out when you see them in person. I would agree that using the NET for stuff that isn't screwed up IS likely a lot faster/easier.

 

[AudiDudi]

I get all my messages from SS online including cost of living increase notices, income reports, withholding, notices of any changes, issues, things of importance.
You said you aren’t getting paper either so how do you find out these things?

It's simple to calculate the total amount when the COLA kicks in. Then subtract PartB premium, multiply by percentage of withholding. Subtract that and that matches the number they deposit in my acct every month. Quicken tells me the annual figures so the 1099 is really just a confirmation of my own figures. I created a spreadsheet when I turned 60 that projected my benefit at all ages between 62 and 70 and updated that with the annual COLA every year. When I filed at 70, the number I had was correct - it surprised the SS employee saying one "needed a PHD to calculate it". I have no PHD and thought it was pretty simple.

 

[aja8888]

Or don’t change your name?

My deceased wife never took my last name and if I marry again, that will be the way we will go. Keep original names.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I tell all young women to never change their name when they get married. There’s too many downsides.

 

[COcheesehead]

I tell all young women to never change their name when they get married. There’s too many downsides.

My DW had a business in her name prior to our marriage. So she kept her name. It’s worked out fine. Socially many refer to us as Mr and Mrs xxxx, but legally she has her birth name.

 

[grasshopper]

We use my last name for pizza, Ms G's name is old Russian no one can spell her name.

 

[cathy63]

I tell all young women to never change their name when they get married. There’s too many downsides.

I traded a long Polish last name with a "czy" in the middle that nobody could spell or pronounce for a slightly shorter French name. Everyone here at the southern border thinks our name is Spanish, so they still mispronounce it, but at least they're not afraid to make an attempt at it and they mostly spell it correctly. So it's been a positive change just for that.

Of course when I made the change almost 40 years ago, it was a lot easier to do than it is today. I just walked into the DMV and said "I got married Saturday, here's my new name" and they gave me a new license. A week or so later I went to the SS office and got my new card. We didn't even have a certified copy of our marriage certificate until a few months ago.

 

[indiajust]

I set up a login for FICA in 2013. Unfortunately they changed tech and refuse me access now. For some reason none of my emails are considered valid. Including my prior login. Something of a mystery.

 

[kbw61]

I have a similar problem My parents started calling me by my middle name as a child, so that is the format I have always used. Back in the day that was easy - school, driver's license, enlisted in the Air Force, passport, veteran's benefits, Global Entry, IRS, everything shows my middle name as my first name. For online access to those services both Login.gov and ID.me are set up that way. Because of that SSA doesn't recognize me when I attempt to sign in. To make it worse, before SSA started using those services I did have an online account with them. Now they will not send me any paper because I show in the system as having an online account. I've called Login.gov, ID.me, SSA and even went to the SSA office in person. They all said that there is nothing that can be done. I just enrolled in Medicare by phone - at least I think that was successful but I haven't received my card yet.

 

[Rusa]

I recommend to women getting married to just make your middle name your maiden last name. So Cledith Nedra Smith marrying Mr. Jones becomes Cledith Smith Jones. No hyphen makes it so much easier. And yes, Cledith is an ancestor I'm researching now, I couldn't resist

That's exactly what I did. I have a unique maiden name, and I didn't care for my original middle name. And hubby's last name is fairly common, so I don't have to spell it every single time someone asks for it.

 

[Murdock75]

Background: I don't have a gov login account so can no longer access my Social Security account. A couple years ago I stopped receiving any paper mail from SSA, including no 1099s.

About a month ago, I called SSA to get them to send paper mail. While going through the "verifying I'm really me" portion of the phone call, we hit a snag in that they had the wrong city listed for where I was born. The person I was talking to said I would need to physically go into an SSA office to prove who I was.

Two days ago I had the appt. I got there about 25 minutes early and was seen about 15 minutes early. I had my birth certificate with mewhich clearly showed their information to be incorrect. We figured out that when they converted the paper documents over to digital (it sounded like physical transcribing!) they had used the city listed where my parents lived instead of the actual hospital address which was in a different city/county. The lady then printed out a 1099 for me.

I actually left about 2 minutes before my original appt time. I am wondering how I was able to apply for SS as they must have asked for city of birth to verify ID and my anser would not hav ematchewd their record. Overall, a very pleasant experience.

Explains how my middle name is spelled wrong now and I need to go in and correct it. Why can't they just look at how it was spelled for 73 yrs and they changed it?

 

[Gremlin]

I have a similar problem My parents started calling me by my middle name as a child, so that is the format I have always used. Back in the day that was easy - school, driver's license, enlisted in the Air Force, passport, veteran's benefits, Global Entry, IRS, everything shows my middle name as my first name. For online access to those services both Login.gov and ID.me are set up that way. Because of that SSA doesn't recognize me when I attempt to sign in. To make it worse, before SSA started using those services I did have an online account with them. Now they will not send me any paper because I show in the system as having an online account. I've called Login.gov, ID.me, SSA and even went to the SSA office in person. They all said that there is nothing that can be done. I just enrolled in Medicare by phone - at least I think that was successful but I haven't received my card yet.

Yikes! Good luck getting it sorted!

 

[reneeh63]

DW decided to hyphenate her name when we got married rather than take my last name and it has caused us numerous problems over the course of our married life. Whenever she has a difficulty I remind her that she brought it on herself.

So true - in general, changing maiden names to married names has been the bane of many women's existence!

 

[pb4uski]

I wanted to relay a positive experience with SSA. My aunt closed a checking account before establishing direct deposit of their social security to their new checking account. They are 94 and 89 and not at all technologically fluent so getting them registered through id.me or whatever to do it online is a no-go since I'm 1000 miles away.

I was able to find a SSA office about 50 minutes away that was located conviently just off the interstate and make an appointment for them. They went in today with their state IDs and checkbook and the SSA staff were able to take care of them quickly.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I have been married 3 times and never changed my last name / surname. Easy peasy. My husband has been called Mr. (My last name) many times.

 

[audreyh1]

I have been married 3 times and never changed my last name / surname. Easy peasy. My husband has been called Mr. (My last name) many times.

Yes, we each answer to the other’s surname, no problem.

 

[Koolau]

I have been married 3 times and never changed my last name / surname. Easy peasy. My husband has been called Mr. (My last name) many times.

Yes, we each answer to the other’s surname, no problem.

Our "couple-ship" is so taken for granted that people occasionally get the two names mixed up (example): Ted and Mary might become Med and Tary followed by sheepish laughs at the error.

Heh, heh not an issue with SSA fortunately.

I still recall being concerned about getting a copy of our marriage certificate as we'd never needed one before applying for SS. There was some minor paperw*rk issue during our marriage (minister put names in wrong places on the State forms and ended up drawing arrows)! We wondered after 40++ years if the State had gotten it right. Fortunately, they had.

 

[jollystomper]

DW had a similar "place of birth" experience when she applied for SS. She is an immigrant, and her birth certificate from her country of birth contained an abbreviation that matches a state abbreviation. When she applied she was told "we cannot find the city in the state your birth certificate says you were born". We did not have to go to an office, but she called and gave then a geography lesson . Oops, our bad, they said, and the rest went smoothly.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I was married 43 years ago next week and changed my last name immediately. One month before I received my MD. I was teased about my last name as a child. My married surname is 4 letters, easy to pronounce, easy to spell. My little patients loved it.

 

[Original Wally]

Sigh. President Reagan: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help. ”

D SIL went into memory care back in June 2025, moving from California to Texas. She had Kaiser Permenante in CA and so did not need Part B Medicare. We have been TRYING for nearly a YEAR to get her Part B started as of the date she left CA (and losing her Kaiser coverage). MULTIPLE letters, phone calls etc. FINALLY got a letter saying we only needed to pay the back Part B premiums from 06/25. YAY!!!!!

TODAY we had a 3:00 appointment, got there my typical 20 min early. FINALLY got called 1/2 hour late. Sigh. What I THOUGHT would be a quick check drop off of the premium turned into an hour and a half. Stuff DW (who is representative payee for D SIL) had sent in was not in their system. The young lady was nice, but...
FINALLY got to the end, paid the bill and exited. Noticed that we were the last to leave. I have closed down many a bar, but never have closed a Social Security office. They made the DMV look GOOD! Sigh.

 

[CaptTom]

I have a friend who had a very long, Polish name. Nobody can spell it. (Well, I can, but she had to drill it into me for long time before I finally got it right.)

She married a guy with a well-known US surname like "Jones."

She kept her maiden name.

Later I found out that someone (her grandfather?) had changed the Polish name to a four-character abbreviation which was easily spelled and pronounced by English speakers. I saw an old mailbox and some paperwork with that as her father's last name. Someone must have changed it back.

I have to hand it to them. I've watched her struggle getting people to spell her name correctly. It shows a real commitment to tradition, and respect for their ancestors. Me? I'd have taken the easy way out.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I have a friend who had a very long, Polish name. Nobody can spell it. (Well, I can, but she had to drill it into me for long time before I finally got it right.)

She married a guy with a well-known US surname like "Jones."

She kept her maiden name.

Later I found out that someone (her grandfather?) had changed the Polish name to a four-character abbreviation which was easily spelled and pronounced by English speakers. I saw an old mailbox and some paperwork with that as her father's last name. Someone must have changed it back.

I have to hand it to them. I've watched her struggle getting people to spell her name correctly. It shows a real commitment to tradition, and respect for their ancestors. Me? I'd have taken the easy way out.

It is my culture that women don't change their surnames when they marry.

 

[Koolau]

It is my culture that women don't change their surnames when they marry.

And then there is the "hyphen" thing. Imagine Ms "Smilevski" marries Mr. Paraskiewicz. I knew a woman at w*rk who did something close to that. Computers of the time would run out of space before dealing with such a handle.