Logging in to Social Security Account will require text-enabled cell phone (respect, 20 year old)
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I am already collecting so I do not NEED access online. IF this remains the only way to get online access it will cost a minimum of $12 a month for a cell phone unless you can get one for free. You can still get SS to call your landline if you have any pressing questions.
Unfortunately, the Social Security Administration has made this very confusing, because normally of course emails like the one many of us got ARE scams.,,
I agree. The first thing I did when I received the email was check the originating email to ensure that it came from ssa.gov and not ssa.com. (I've read about scam emails coming from ssa.com.)
Thanks for letting us know that the email is now posted on the ssa.gov website. Perhaps those who doubted its authenticity will now see that it's real and that future logins will definitely require verification as has been described.
I do hope that there are "additional options in the future" but, knowing how slowly any government-related changes take, many of us may not need Social Security by the time we have "additional options".
Tried to get into SS system today and it's not working due to the fact that they are revamping their system for the cell phone numbers. I noticed that they said the cell phone text is the only way the government can have seniors access their accounts because the SS system does not have the capabilities to add other ways. Why does this not surprise me?
Back in the late '90s Clinton's Treasury Department announced that all payments must be made by ACH, no checks would be issued. This meant tax refunds, SSA payments, savings bonds redemptions, etc. AARP stepped in and pitched a fit. Treasury backed down.
What I find interesting is the fact that one really can't do much in MySSA. I think you can change your address but not your bank info, although I might be wrong. TreasuryDirect, however, will sometimes require you to enter a passcode, which is emailed to you. In TreasuryDirect you can not only change your address, you can change your payment info and redeem securities. This means you can add a new bank and then immediately redeem any security or securities eligible for redemption!
My first text for each month costs me $3, after that I get 99 free. I......never.......text. I hate texting. If you have something to say to me, call me. There's nothing I hate more than going back and forth and back and forth and back....you get my drift. Drives me nuts. I can understand a quick reminder or "pick up milk on the way home" sort of thing. But communicating for five minutes? No! Get a life.
No, SSA doesnt have to notify anyone of changes via USPS or email. The notification will come when someone tries to log in to the SSA.gov website. Try logging in tomorrow (August 1) and see what happens.
I just went online and contacted AARP (since I could not find a way to complain to the Social Security office) to see if they can make our voices heard. If enough people take the time to email AARP, perhaps they can tell us how to complain to Social Security or set up something so that they can let Social Security know how this new rule impacts so many senior citizens.
FYI, you don't have to be a member of AARP to email them with a question. I used the "other" category to submit a question to see if they could help us to get our complaint about this new rule heard.
AARP is just an arm of the same bureaucrat-driven federal government that said you have to have a "fancy phone" to access your SS account. You'll surely waste your time talking to them. If they do this with Medicare, then everyone should go to The Mall and not leave until they hand out free fancy phones [with big buttons for males] and free service to everyone over 64 1/2. My gosh. The stupidity exhibited by this government gets bigger by the month - like a wet snowball. Or is it the voters who have created this? One wonders.
Those who belong to that tiny, miniscule minority of Americans over 10 years old who don't have a cell phone can phone the Social Security Administration or go to one of their offices if necessary. I know hundreds of people of all ages and I believe there is one, a single one, who doesn't have a cell phone, and he is 81.
I don't get it about all the anger, the calling of people's legislators to complain, etc. Don't people have a life? They must not if such a trifle gets their knickers all in a twist. This is just not a big deal.
What I find interesting is the fact that one really can't do much in MySSA. I think you can change your address but not your bank info, although I might be wrong.
Yes, you can change your direct deposit information on the MySSA website. Again, for the few people who do not have text-enabled cell phones or don't want to pay-per-text, simply get a free Google Voice number and use that for the SSA. You can manage it via a web browser on your computer (send and receive text messages and a whole lot more) and it's totally free.
Those who belong to that tiny, miniscule minority of Americans over 10 years old who don't have a cell phone can phone the Social Security Administration or go to one of their offices if necessary. I know hundreds of people of all ages and I believe there is one, a single one, who doesn't have a cell phone, and he is 81.
I don't get it about all the anger, the calling of people's legislators to complain, etc. Don't people have a life? They must not if such a trifle gets their knickers all in a twist. This is just not a big deal.
I'm going to assume you aren't a SS recipient as I am. It sounds like you aren't. This is a big deal. I have a text enabled cell phone, so although the texting issue wouldn't affect me personally, I know of several people off the top of my head who are SS recipients and don't have texting cell phones or don't know how to text. And have you ever actually gone into your SS office? Getting something done there would test the patience of Job. You go to the security guard, explain your business, then he hands you a number (say #98B).
You sit, sit, sit, and you can't eat, drink, or use the cell phone you don't own. You don't want to use the restroom either, because you might miss your turn. The bored intake workers read numbers frequently, but they aren't in sequential order; different employees work on different issues, so one might takes plain numbers, like #98, one takes #s ending in A, then someone else takes the #s ending in B. And let's not forget they are only open 9-4 M-F and some close early on Fridays. When the employees are on a lunch hour, there's a skeleton crew, so it takes twice as long. The last time I went there to discuss my review status, it was a 2 hour wait Calling also takes much time. The hold time is at least an hour, but they can usually call you back. Unfortunately, telephone services are pretty limited. You can get more done on the website, the website these recipients can't access because of this stupid new rule.
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Calling also takes much time. The hold time is at least an hour, but they can usually call you back. Unfortunately, telephone services are pretty limited. You can get more done on the website, the website these recipients can't access because of this stupid new rule.
