As the Social Security Administration disburses its January checks that include an 8.7% cost-of-living increase, some Social Security beneficiaries may have issues or questions about their monthly payments. If you find yourself with unanswered questions about Social Security, whether they concern your Supplemental Security Income or this year’s COLA increase, clear up any confusion by contacting the SSA.
Maybe you’ve received a call saying you’ve been a victim of Social Security identity theft and it left you concerned. Or perhaps you’re curious about how much you’re going to receive with this year’s COLA increase. We’ll explain where you can go for help and the steps you can take to clear up any questions with the SSA you have below.
For more information, here’s the ultimate 2023 Social Security cheat sheet and what Social Security will look like once you retire.
If you think you’ve been scammed, do this
If you’ve received a call claiming there’s an issue with your Social Security number, that you are a victim of identity theft or some other scheme, don’t panic. The Social Security Administration says that its employees will rarely call a person and threaten them with legal action or arrest.
Some scammers will contact people and threaten legal action, arrest, offer to increase benefits, protect assets or resolve identity theft, the SSA explained in a post. Keep your eye out for any caller who says there are issues with your Social Security number or account, asks you to pay a fine or a debt or pretends to be a government agency.
If you receive a call, hang up and report the number to the Office of the Inspector General by filling out this form.
If you did fall for the scammer’s call and provided any personal information to them, don’t be embarrassed. Make sure you report that you’ve been a victim of a financial scam and share with the SSA if you’ve suffered financial loss. You can contact the number below for additional help.
Questions about your Social Security payments? Read this
If you have general questions about your Social Security payments, like when you’ll receive your payment or how much your COLA increase will be, you can find that information on your My Social Security account. If you don’t have an account, you can expect to receive a letter in the mail this month with that information.
For other issues, such as a missing payment, you can contact the Social Security Administration using the number below.
How to contact the Social Security Administration and more
Still have questions? Here are the phone numbers where you can reach these government agencies:
- Social Security phone number: 800-772-1213
- Social Security Disability phone number: 800-772-1213
- Medicare phone number: 800-633-4227
- Social Security Fraud Hotline: 800-269-0271
Have more Social Security questions? Here’s how your Social Security benefits will increase in 2023, when to start collecting benefits and who’s eligible for Social Security benefits for children.