Whether you want to verify your current payment or understand why it changed, knowing how to check your benefit amount is essential. Here's how to do it.
In this article, we'll cover:
- How to check your benefit amount online
- Other ways to check
- Understanding your benefit statement
- Why your amount might change
1. How to Check Your Benefit Amount Online
My Social Security account:
- Go to ssa.gov/myaccount
- Sign in (or create an account)
- View your benefit information
- See payment history and upcoming amounts
What you'll find:
- Current monthly benefit amount
- Payment dates
- Medicare premium deductions (if applicable)
- Recent payment history
- Benefit verification letter
Setting up an account:
- Need valid email address
- Social Security number
- U.S. mailing address
- Identity verification (credit check or ID.me)
- Takes about 10-15 minutes
Benefits of online access:
- Available 24/7
- Most up-to-date information
- Download benefit letters
- Make some changes online
- Check payment status
2. Other Ways to Check
By phone:
- Call 1-800-772-1213
- TTY: 1-800-325-0778
- Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm local time
- Automated system or representative
- Have your Social Security number ready
In person:
- Visit your local Social Security office
- Find locations at ssa.gov/locator
- May need appointment
- Bring ID
By mail:
- Request a benefit verification letter
- Contact SSA to request
- Takes longer than other methods
- Good for official documentation
Important: The online my Social Security account is the fastest and most convenient way to check your information.
3. Understanding Your Benefit Statement
What's included:
- Gross benefit amount
- Any deductions
- Net payment amount
- Payment date
Common deductions:
- Medicare Part B premium ($174.70/month in 2026)
- Medicare Part D premium (if enrolled)
- Representative payee fees (if applicable)
- Overpayment recovery
- Garnishments (rare)
Reading your statement:
- Gross amount: What you're entitled to
- Deductions: What comes out
- Net amount: What you actually receive
- Compare to deposits in your bank
Benefit verification letter:
- Official proof of benefits
- Shows current payment amount
- Useful for housing, other benefits
- Download from my Social Security
4. Why Your Amount Might Change
Annual changes:
- Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)
- Usually effective January
- Based on inflation
- Announced in October
For SSI recipients:
- Income changes
- Living situation changes
- Resource changes
- In-kind support changes
For SSDI recipients:
- Medicare enrollment
- Work activity
- Overpayment recovery
- Workers' comp offset changes
Other reasons:
- Address change affecting state supplement
- Reaching full retirement age
- Family member changes
- Reporting updates take effect
What to do if it changes unexpectedly:
- Check for SSA notices
- Review my Social Security account
- Call SSA for explanation
- Keep records of communications
COLA Adjustments
What is COLA:
- Cost of Living Adjustment
- Based on Consumer Price Index
- Protects against inflation
- Applied automatically
When it happens:
- Announced October
- Effective January
- First adjusted payment in January
- Check late December for new amount
2026 COLA:
- Check ssa.gov for current year's increase
- Applied to both SSI and SSDI
- Medicare premiums may also change
- Net effect depends on both
Tracking Your Payments
Keep records:
- Note each payment received
- Compare to expected amount
- Document any discrepancies
- Save benefit statements
Watch for problems:
- Missing payments
- Incorrect amounts
- Unexpected deductions
- Report issues promptly
How Purple Helps
Purple makes tracking benefits easy:
- See deposits as they arrive
- Compare to expected amounts
- Clear payment history
- Early access notifications
- Easy record keeping