One of the biggest changes is that the My Social Security portal will now be available 24/7, every day of the week, with no interruptions.
Before: The portal had scheduled downtime, including weekends and late nights.
Now: You’ll be able to use it anytime, whether it’s 3 p.m. or 3 a.m.
Why it is handy: It is especially great for people with extremely delayed schedules or those who are out of their time zones in an area.
You will want to read this later:
Good news for social security users as service goes 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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Wondering what you can do on the portal?
Here is something you should know: The My Social Security portal isn’t just for retired individuals. Both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries can also use it for several handy services, including:
What you can do on the portal
Request a replacement Social Security card if it is stolen or lost.
- Obtain tax forms such as SSA-1099 to fill out for tax reasons.
- Obtain benefit verification letters (for miscellaneous reasons other than benefits, such as loans, housing, etc.).
- Update your address if you do change it.
- Compute future Social Security benefits, such as spouse benefits.
- Status of your application if you have applied for benefits.
First digital upgrade: Improved telephone service
In the early part of this year, in 2025, the SSA also replaced telephone equipment in 70% of its regional offices.
Effect: Call waiting time was at least 35% less.
Why it’s important: It eliminated delays, especially for older Americans who use more phone services than websites.
“Weekly Citizenship Tip: SSA is Working to Keep Pace with Your Evolving Needs
SSA’s new customer service imperative
These are all part of a larger effort to, in the words of SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano,
Make SSA a “model of excellence.”
- Deliver rapid, precise, and prompt services to Americans.
- Enhance the experience of online and in-office shoppers.”
- He complimented the work ethic of the SSA employees and noted further, “The American people have waited long enough for better service.”
Other SSA changes in 2025 that you should know
Apart from online improvement, the SSA did note some sweeping changes this year too:
- Backpay Paid: Over 3.1 million Americans were paid under the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, which updated the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).
Recovery of Overpayment: SSA did enact their overpayment recovery policy change. Instead of withholding 10% from biweekly payments, it keeps 100% until overpaid is repaid (just for Social Security benefits).
+ Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is still in the 10% rule.
+ This would enable SSA to recover $7 billion over 10 years.
Staff Reduction: SSA cut their staff by about 7,000 jobs, the largest in their history.
What it means to you
If you’re already receiving Social Security or will receive Social Security at some point, this is what all this Internet business is all about to you:
Do it all on the computer, not waiting until business hours.
- Fast service by phone and internet sites.
- Additional retirement planning tools, address updates, and form downloading.
- SSA’s ongoing changes have been designed to make your experience more convenient, quicker, and secure, and they begin this July with round-the-clock online access.
