Q & A
Why can’t I get on my mySocialSecurity account? Is the website always down?
Complete Question: I keep hearing that the best way to “do business” with Social Security is to do it online and you should first create a mySocialSecurity account. Great! I’m fine with that because I work 2nd shift and it’s hard enough to get anything done during normal business hours when I’m sleeping. But every time I try to get on there it tells me it’s not up and running. What’s the deal? Is the website always down? Why would they promote it so much if it’s not working?
Answer: It sounds to me like you are trying to access your account in the middle of the night. As weird as this may sound, mySocialSecurity actually has hours of operation. To add to this frustration they do not tell you this on the login page – this is stated elsewhere on the Social Security website. You should also know that these online hours of operation also apply to other online services, such as applying for benefits, checking application status, etc.
So to answer your general question, no, the website is not always down. The hours of operation are as follows (Eastern Time):
Monday – Friday: 5am-1am
Saturday: 5am-11pm
Sunday: 8am-11:30pm
Holidays: 5am-1am
Hopefully this will help you plan out your online activities better. This may not be ideal, but they are a lot better than their office hours. If you or someone else is looking to visit or call your Social Security office, hours may vary. However, the most common hours of operation (local time) are:
Mon, Tu, Th, Fri: 9am-3pm
Wed: 9am-12pm
Sat & Sun: Closed
Holidays: Closed
Holidays in terms of the Social Security Administration are typically “bankers” holidays.
C.J. Miles, MSA, MBAHCM
Research Analyst & Certified Social Security Advisor
AMAC Foundation
Notice: If you have any additional questions about online services, or any other Social Security issue, you can reply below. If you would like to discuss your situation privately, you can email C.J. at [email protected]. Please do not reply on the website with any personal identification information, such as Social Security numbers.
I cannot believe that I can’t get onto the SSA site now until Monday morning! How ridiculous is this?
First of all you want me to conserve energy by opting to NOT get SS info mailed to me, then you shut it down so I can’t get on the site at night to find out any information that I need! This is crazy!
I started trying to get onsite Friday evening so I could get my 1099 and do my taxes, but low and behold the site is shut up tighter than a drum! What difference does it make whether I get it during the week or during the weekend? It’s not like your site is going to be protected from scammers this way! They’ll get in no matter the time of day or night!! And I doubt that the average person will be able to get any immediate answers from your office on anything anyhow, so being open only during your office hours is totally useless.
Thanks a lot!!!
Crystal:
Thank you for your comments and for contacting our Advisory Service. Please note that the AMAC Foundation is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency, and therefore play no role in the availability of Social Security Administration resources. You may want to contact ssa.gov to express your very real concern.
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
I tried to check my SSDI application status on the Social Security Website. When prompted to enter my social security number and then again reconfirm the same number, the reconfirmation space is one digit too short? What’s with this? Could be a glitch or an intentional barrier? Websites don’t commonly have this ambiguous situation.