Finding husband's PIA amount on Social Security website to compare benefits - where to look?

You won't find the PIA listed directly on the MySocialSecurity website. It's frustrating, I know! The only way I found mine was calling SSA directly. I spent 3 hours on hold last month just to get this exact information. It's ridiculous they don't just display it clearly online when it's such an important number for planning!

Oh no, that's what I was afraid of! 3 hours on hold sounds absolutely dreadful. Did they at least give you the information easily once you finally got through to someone?

The PIA isn't directly shown on the MySocialSecurity portal, which is a common frustration. What you're seeing is his current benefit amount, which could include COLAs since his filing date.You have three options:1. Call the SSA at 1-800-772-12132. Visit your local field office (make an appointment first)3. Look at his original award letter from 2018 if you still have it, which should list the PIAIf you're comparing for spousal benefits, remember you're entitled to up to 50% of his PIA if that exceeds your own benefit at your FRA.

Thank you so much for this clear explanation! We've looked everywhere for his original award letter but can't find it after our move last year. Sounds like calling is our best option.

Dont waste ur time looking online, they hide that info deliberately lol. My wife and me went thru same thing last year. Pia is NOT the same as benefit amount cause of all the cost of living increases over the years. Pio wont show up anywhere in ur acct.

That's what I was beginning to suspect! It seems like such basic information that should be readily available. It's frustrating they make it so difficult to access your own information.

I just went through this exact situation last month. The PIA isn't visible on the website, but there's a faster way than waiting on hold forever.Try using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach an agent quickly. They have a service that helps you skip the phone wait times with Social Security. I was connected to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of the usual hours-long wait. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUThe agent I spoke with was able to tell me both my PIA and my husband's PIA, which made comparing our benefits much easier. Especially important because we have similar earnings histories and I needed to decide if spousal would be better for me.

Thank you for this tip! I've never heard of this service before. 15 minutes sounds much better than 3+ hours. I'll check out that video. Did you find the information they gave you helpful for making your decision?

Why is the SSA website SO TERRIBLE?? It's 2025 and they still can't show us the most basic information we need for retirement planning! I had to get my PIA by driving to my local office and waiting 2.5 hours to speak to someone. RIDICULOUS. They should be embarrassed by their systems.

Totally agree! My sister works for a private insurance company and says their systems from the 1990s are more user-friendly than SSA's \

Just wondering - have you checked any old paperwork? My hubby found his PIA listed on the statement SSA mailed to him when he first filed. We keep everything in a big folder. Might save you a phone call if you have it somewhere!

That's a good suggestion. We've been searching through our files but haven't found anything from 2018. We moved last year and I'm afraid some paperwork may have been misplaced in the process. I've learned my lesson about keeping better track of important documents!

One more thing to consider: if you're trying to determine whether to take spousal benefits or your own retirement, you should request your own benefit estimate as well. Remember that for spousal benefits:1. Maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your husband's PIA2. You must be at least 62 to collect (with reduction if before your FRA)3. If your own benefit is higher than 50% of his PIA, you'll get your own benefit instead4. Taking reduced retirement benefits early can permanently affect spousal benefitsA proper comparison requires knowing both PIA values.

Thank you for this additional information! I do have access to my own PIA through my SSA account since I haven't filed yet. My FRA is 67, and I'm trying to decide whether to file at 65 on my own record or wait until 67 to maximize either my own or spousal benefits. This is why I need his PIA to make calculations.

i was in the same boat last year! ended up printing all the screens from my hubbys account and bringing them to local office. the lady there laughed and said \

That's actually a great idea - our local office might be less crowded than the ones in the city. Maybe I'll try making an appointment there instead of dealing with the phone system. Thanks for sharing what worked for you!

I'm new here but dealing with the same frustration! I've been trying to find my own PIA to help my mom with her spousal benefit calculations, and the SSA website is absolutely no help. It's mind-boggling that in 2025 we still can't access our own basic benefit information online. I've been putting off calling because I know it's going to be a nightmare, but it sounds like that's really the only option. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - at least now I know I'm not missing some obvious place where this information is supposed to be displayed!

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I actually had success getting my PIA by requesting my complete earnings record from SSA. When you call or visit in person, ask specifically for your "complete earnings and benefit computation record" rather than just asking for your PIA. This document shows not only your PIA but also how it was calculated, which can be really helpful for understanding your benefits. It took about 2 weeks to arrive by mail, but it had way more detail than just getting the PIA number over the phone. Might be worth requesting if you're going through the hassle of contacting them anyway!

As someone who just went through this exact same process a few months ago, I can confirm that the PIA is absolutely nowhere to be found on the MySocialSecurity website - it's one of their biggest oversights! I ended up calling the national number and surprisingly got through in about 45 minutes (called around 2 PM on a Wednesday). The representative was actually very helpful and not only gave me my husband's PIA but also explained how the spousal benefit calculation would work in our specific situation. She even helped me understand that since my husband filed at his FRA, his PIA equals his initial benefit amount before any COLAs were applied. If you do call, have both of your Social Security numbers ready and be prepared to verify identity information. The wait time seems to vary dramatically depending on when you call - mornings and Mondays are apparently the worst. Good luck with your retirement planning!

I've been lurking in this community for a while and finally decided to join because this thread is SO helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same issue - trying to find my wife's PIA to compare with my potential spousal benefits. It's absolutely ridiculous that SSA doesn't display this basic information online. I've been dreading making that phone call, but after reading everyone's experiences and tips (especially about calling Wednesday afternoons and asking for the complete earnings record), I feel much more prepared to tackle this. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences - it's so much more valuable than the generic advice you find on government websites!

I'm new to this community but have been following this discussion with great interest! I'm in a similar situation - trying to help my parents navigate their Social Security benefits and running into the same PIA roadblock. After reading through all these experiences, I'm amazed at how many people have struggled with this same issue. It really highlights how poorly designed the MySocialSecurity website is for actual retirement planning needs. The suggestion about requesting the complete earnings and benefit computation record sounds like the way to go - getting the detailed breakdown seems much more valuable than just the PIA number alone. I'm also bookmarking that tip about calling Wednesday afternoons instead of Monday mornings. It's frustrating that we have to become experts in gaming the system just to access our own information, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people share real-world solutions!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been. I'm 64 and facing the exact same PIA mystery with my husband's benefits. Reading through all your experiences has saved me so much time and frustration - I was about to spend hours clicking through every page on the SSA website looking for something that apparently doesn't exist there! I'm definitely going to try calling on a Wednesday afternoon and request that complete earnings and benefit computation record that @Amina Bah mentioned. It's honestly shocking that in 2025 we still can't access such basic information online, but I'm so grateful for communities like this where people share real solutions. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences - it makes navigating this confusing system so much easier when we help each other out!

I'm brand new to this community and just stumbled across this thread while searching for the exact same information! I've been pulling my hair out trying to find my spouse's PIA on the MySocialSecurity website for weeks. It's such a relief to discover I'm not the only one facing this frustrating situation - I was starting to think I was just terrible at navigating websites! Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening. The fact that so many people have struggled with this same issue really shows how broken the SSA's online system is for actual retirement planning. I'm definitely going to try that Wednesday afternoon calling strategy that @Caleb Stark mentioned, and I'm also very interested in requesting the complete earnings and benefit computation record that @Amina Bah suggested. Getting the detailed breakdown of how the PIA was calculated sounds much more valuable than just getting a single number over the phone. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences and practical solutions - this community is exactly what I needed to find! It's amazing how much more helpful peer advice is compared to the official SSA resources.

I'm new to this community but facing the exact same frustration! I've been helping my elderly parents navigate Social Security and we've been going in circles trying to find dad's PIA on the website. It's absolutely mind-boggling that in 2025, a government website can't display such fundamental information that people need for retirement planning. After reading through all these experiences, I feel like I finally have a roadmap - the Wednesday afternoon calling strategy from @Caleb Stark sounds promising, and requesting the complete earnings and benefit computation record like @Amina Bah suggested seems like the smartest approach to get all the details we need. It's honestly shameful that we have to crowdsource solutions to access our own government benefits information, but I'm so grateful communities like this exist to help each other navigate these broken systems. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences - it's infinitely more helpful than anything on the official SSA website!

I'm new to this community and just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences in this thread! I've been struggling with this exact same PIA issue for months - trying to help my mom figure out whether to take spousal benefits or her own retirement benefits, but we couldn't find dad's PIA anywhere on the SSA website. I was starting to feel like I was losing my mind clicking through every possible page and menu option! Reading through all these real-world experiences has been such a lifesaver. The tip about calling on Wednesday afternoons instead of Monday mornings is brilliant - I never would have thought about timing making such a difference. And the suggestion from @Amina Bah about requesting the complete earnings and benefit computation record sounds like exactly what we need to get the full picture. It's honestly infuriating that SSA's website is so useless for actual retirement planning, but I'm incredibly grateful for communities like this where people share practical solutions instead of just official runaround. You've all saved me countless hours of frustration!

I'm brand new to this community and just had to join after reading through this incredibly helpful discussion! I've been dealing with this exact same PIA frustration for weeks now - trying to help my sister compare her potential spousal benefits with her own retirement benefits, but we can't find her husband's PIA anywhere on the MySocialSecurity website. I was starting to think we were just missing something obvious, but it's clear from everyone's experiences that this information simply isn't available online. The collective wisdom in this thread is amazing - from @Caleb Stark's tip about calling Wednesday afternoons to @Amina Bah's suggestion about requesting the complete earnings and benefit computation record, you've all provided exactly the roadmap we needed. It's honestly appalling that in 2025 we still can't access such basic information online, but I'm so grateful for communities like this where people share real solutions instead of just repeating the same unhelpful official information. Thank you all for taking the time to document your experiences - it's going to save us so much time and frustration!