SSA transitions online accounts to Login-dot-gov for sign in
Users of the Social Security Administration's online account system will need to migrate to Login.gov to continue accessing services, if they have not done so already. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images
The agency said the change will affect individuals who created “my Social Security” accounts through its website before September 18, 2021.
The Social Security Administration announced on Friday that Americans who created personal accounts through the agency’s online portal prior to September 18, 2021, will be required to transition to the government’s Login.gov platform to continue accessing their digital services.
This includes individuals who created “my Social Security” accounts through the agency’s website, which allows people to request new Social Security cards and manage their existing benefits, among other services.
“My Social Security is a safe and secure way for people to do business with us,” SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in a statement. “We’re excited to transition to Login.gov to access our online services, streamlining the process and ease of use for the public across agencies.”
According to the sign in portal, accounts created before September 18, 2021 were able to log in directly on the agency website with a username and password, whereas accounts created after that date had to use Login.gov or an external authentication provider — ID.me — to access online services.
Users with the old username option will be prompted to transition to Login.gov the next time they sign into their account, according to an agency press release. The website’s login information page warns users of that old option that “starting September 2024, these accounts will be retired.”
The agency said it “is making the changes to simplify the sign-in experience and align with federal authentication standards while providing safe and secure access to online services.”
Login.gov is a centralized sign-on platform for Americans seeking to access services from participating federal agencies. SSA said that more than 5 million of its online users have already linked their accounts with the Login.gov service.
While SSA touted the authentication standards associated with Login.gov, questions have been raised about the security levels offered by the service. An inspector general report issued in March of last year found that the General Services Administration, which oversees Login.gov, had misled customer agencies about the service’s ability to meet National Institute of Standards and Technology's standards for remote identity proofing.
GSA announced in April that it will be piloting the use of face matching technology to better verify the identities of users accessing the platform, a move that would also enable the service to align with the NIST standards.