How Can I Verify My Social Security Earnings?

Having an accurate history of your earnings on file with the Federal Government is very important.  After all, the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) formulation of benefits to which you may be entitled should you become disabled or when you retire are calculated based on your past earnings.  If earnings are missing or incomplete, your benefits could be reduced. Possible reasons the information on file for you could be wrong:

• Your employer used the wrong name or social security number when reporting your income.
• You got married or divorced, but did not report your name change to SSA.
• Prior or current year earnings may not have been recorded yet.

You can verify your social security earnings by setting up a personal account on the Social Security website:

• Create a personal “My Social Security Account” on www.socialsecurity.gov.  Be prepared to answer a number of personal questions to verify your identity.
• Once your account has been created, view your annual earnings history.
• If anything seems to be missing or incorrect, you must provide SSA with proof of the changes required.

Social Security attorney Doug Landau urges everyone to set up an account and periodically verify your earnings data is correct. If you or someone you know has been disabled and there are questions about Social Security benefits, email or call Abrams Landau, Ltd. at once (703-796-9555).