Is my Social Security online account necessary after benefits start? Lost login access

There are several good reasons to maintain access to the mySocialSecurity portal even after benefits start: 1) Change your direct deposit information if you switch banks 2) Update your address if you move 3) Request a replacement Medicare card 4) Print benefit verification letters (needed for loans, housing applications, etc) 5) Change your tax withholding preferences 6) Check payment history if there's ever a question 7) Set up or change Advance Designation of Representative Payee While some of these can be done by phone, the online portal is much more convenient. I'd definitely recommend getting his access restored.

not really tbh... i never use mine lol. the checks come in fine and thats all i care about 🤷‍♂️ too much hassle with all the passwords and security stuff

OH MY GOODNESS I went through EXACTLY this with my mom last month!!! It was a NIGHTMARE trying to get back into her account because she hadn't used it in 3 years and forgot EVERYTHING. We tried calling SSA and were on hold for 2+ hours only to get disconnected TWICE!!! We finally got it reset and I'm so glad we did because we discovered she wasn't getting the proper COLA increase from January!!! If we hadn't checked, who knows how long that would have continued. So YES, definitely worth maintaining access to check that your benefits are calculating correctly!!!

I had trouble reaching SSA about a similar account issue last month - was on hold forever and kept getting disconnected. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real SSA agent within 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Regarding your question - I definitely recommend maintaining account access. When I finally got through, the agent told me the online account is the fastest way to update important info like address changes, direct deposit updates, and tax withholding preferences. Also, you can print benefit verification letters which are needed for all kinds of things (I needed one for a mortgage refinance).

its realy important to keep access cause my sister didnt and then her bank account got hacked and she couldnot change her direct deposit for like 2 month cause of all the security stuff they make you do when you dont have a login. ended up missing payments and it was a huge mess to fix

In my experience, the mySocialSecurity portal is essential for ongoing benefit management. Beyond what others have mentioned, there are several practical reasons to maintain access: 1. Medicare premium adjustments - especially important if he's subject to IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) 2. Reviewing benefit calculations if circumstances change 3. Checking payment history if there are ever questions about deposits 4. Accessing the Annual Benefit Statement to verify everything is correct 5. Managing tax withholding preferences, which many retirees adjust seasonally To recover access, you might want to try visiting a local SSA office in person with your father and his ID. They can often reset access more efficiently than phone channels.

my uncle says he only uses it when he needs proof of income for his apartment renewal every year. he prints that benefit letter thing

One more important reason to maintain access: fraud prevention. By regularly checking your account, you can make sure no one has attempted to change your payment information. Unfortunately, Social Security fraud targeting seniors is increasingly common. The online account lets you verify that everything is still set up correctly and no unauthorized changes have been made.