To check how much Social Security you have, create a free my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount. Once you sign in, you can see every year of earnings on record, the number of credits you have earned toward eligibility, and estimated monthly benefits for retirement, disability, and survivors coverage.1Social Security Administration. What Is an Account? | my Social Security If you can’t or would rather not use the online portal, you can request the same statement by mail, by phone, or in person at a local office.
Set Up Your Online Account
Go to ssa.gov/myaccount and choose one of two identity verification services: Login.gov or ID.me. As of June 2025, those are the only two sign-in options for Social Security’s online services.2Social Security Administration. my Social Security | Create an Account Both confirm your identity before letting you see your records.
Have your documents ready before you start. Login.gov asks for a U.S. driver’s license, state ID, or passport book, your Social Security number, and a U.S. phone number or mailing address.3Login.gov. Verify My Identity ID.me has similar requirements and walks you through uploading a photo of your government-issued ID. The process involves clear photo uploads and verification questions, so missing pieces will stall you.
If online verification doesn’t work, you can visit your local Social Security office in person to prove your identity and access your records.4Social Security Administration. What to Know about Proving Your Identity Find the nearest office through ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213.
What You’ll See on Your Statement
After signing in, your dashboard opens to your Social Security Statement. It’s a single document you can view, download as a PDF, or print, and it covers three things: your earnings history, your credits, and your projected benefits.1Social Security Administration. What Is an Account? | my Social Security It also shows the current year’s reported earnings so you can compare them to your own tax records without waiting for anything in the mail.
Your Earnings Record
The earnings record lists your income year by year, in two columns. Social Security taxes apply only up to a capped amount each year, while Medicare taxes apply to all earned income with no cap, so the two columns can differ.5Social Security Administration. Contribution and Benefit Base
These numbers matter because your future retirement benefit is calculated from your highest 35 years of earnings.6Social Security Administration. Your Options: Working, Applying for Retirement Benefits, or Both Years with no earnings or very low earnings count as zeros in that average and drag it down. Check each year against your W-2s or tax returns.
Your Credits
You need at least 40 credits to qualify for retirement benefits, and you can earn up to four credits per year.7Social Security Administration. Social Security Credits and Benefit Eligibility In 2026, one credit is earned for every $1,890 in wages or self-employment income, which means $7,560 in earnings gets you the full four credits for the year.8Social Security Administration. How Do I Earn Social Security Credits and How Many Do I Need to Be Eligible for Benefits? If your statement shows fewer than 40, the gap tells you how many more earning years stand between you and eligibility.
Your Estimated Monthly Benefit
The largest part of the statement projects what your monthly benefit will look like, assuming you keep earning at your current level. You’ll see three retirement figures side by side: starting at age 62, starting at your full retirement age, and waiting until 70. There are also estimates for disability benefits and for survivor benefits your family could receive.
For anyone born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67.9Social Security Administration. Retirement Age and Benefit Reduction Claiming at 62 permanently reduces your monthly amount by up to 30 percent compared to the full retirement age figure.10Social Security Administration. Early or Late Retirement Waiting past full retirement age raises your monthly benefit by 8 percent for each year you delay, up to age 70.11Social Security Administration. Benefits Planner: Retirement | Delayed Retirement Credits There’s no further increase for waiting past 70.
Other Ways to Get Your Statement
If the online route isn’t right for you, three alternatives get you the same information.
- By mail: complete Form SSA-7004 (Request for Social Security Statement) and mail it in. The paper statement typically arrives in four to six weeks.12Social Security Administration. Request for a Social Security Statement (SSA-7004)
- By phone: call 1-800-772-1213 between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. Waits are usually shorter in the morning and later in the month.13Social Security Administration. Contact Social Security by Phone
- In person: visit your local Social Security field office, which is also the route if online identity verification didn’t work.4Social Security Administration. What to Know about Proving Your Identity
If you’re not yet receiving benefits and don’t have an online account, Social Security will mail you a paper statement about three months before your 60th birthday.14Social Security Administration. How Can I Get a Social Security Statement?
Check for Errors and Fix Them in Time
If a year is missing from your earnings record or the amount looks wrong, don’t wait. Social Security can correct your record up to three years, three months, and 15 days after the year the wages were paid.15Social Security Administration. SSA Handbook 1423 – Time Limit for Correcting Earnings Records After that, corrections are allowed only in limited situations, such as clerical errors on Social Security’s own records, fraud, or earnings entered for the wrong person.16GovInfo. 20 CFR 404.822 – Correction of the Record of Your Earnings After the Time Limit Ends
Gather what you have to prove the earnings:
- W-2 forms
- Tax returns
- Pay stubs or wage slips
- Any other records showing you worked and what you were paid
If you can’t find paperwork, write down what you remember: the employer’s name, work location, dates of employment, how much you earned, and the name and Social Security number you used at the time.17Social Security Administration. How to Correct Your Social Security Earnings Record Take that to your local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213 to start the correction. Because an uncorrected error can permanently lower your monthly benefit, a yearly check of your statement is the simplest way to keep the numbers on it working in your favor.