Do you remember Telephone, the game we played as kids? Someone whispers a message in the first child’s ear, who whispers it to the next in line, and so forth. It always produced howls of laughter when hearing how twisted the message had become.
In April, we witnessed a 2025 version of Telephone. The first message in the chain came from a set of undated Social Security Q&As describing an important change.
“Starting March 29, 2025, when you sign in to your personal my Social Security account using your username and password, you will be required to transition to Login.gov to access our online services.”
“If you do not transition your Social Security username to Login.gov or you don’t have an ID.me account, you will not have access to your personal my Social Security account.”
The first message was that, if you do not have a Login.gov or ID.me account, you will not be able to access your Social Security account but there would be a transition period to get one.
Then, instead of ears, the message passed from website to website.
Somewhere along the chain, the message changed. Headlines on internet posts threatened that Social Security would pause, interrupt or suspend retirement benefits if not transitioning by the deadline. (This was not part of the original message and benefits would not be affected.) So, instead of laughter, the chain ended in hysteria. Here’s an example.
On April 15, an 80-year-old woman called my business. She recently read online that if she didn’t have a Login.gov account, there could be an interruption in her Social Security benefits. She was very stressed and had no idea what to do. She needed her benefits.
I spent some time checking the internet to see whether I could identify where the breakdown started, which turned out to be impossible. Maybe someone reading the Q&As believed that you collect Social Security benefits through a Social Security account so suspending access would suspend benefits. (Federal law mandates that Social Security benefits must be made electronically to a designated account, with no connection to a Social Security account.) In just one sitting, I found 11 website postings and two YouTube videos connecting a failure to set up an account with interruption of benefits. Interestingly, six of those sites were based in Spain, which has no Social Security.
And, as they say, once it’s on the internet, it stays on the internet. On May 12, I found this AI overview.
“Social Security beneficiaries are required to transition to using Login.gov for accessing their online accounts and services, starting March 29, 2025. This transition is mandatory to avoid potential interruptions in benefits.”
According to the Google Keyword website, “Because accuracy is paramount in Search, AI Overviews are built to only show information that is backed up by top web results.” AI may have thought that, because the same information appeared on at least 13 sites, it was accurate.
What You Need to Know
What We Don’t Know
There are questions that don’t have answers at this time.
- When does the transition end? In the undated Q&As, Social Security noted that “later this year,” you will no longer be able to log in with your Social Security username. However, I cannot find a date.
- If you have an ID.me account, do you need a Login.gov one? Social Security is directing those who don’t have either to go with Login.gov. This is managed by the government and it allows users to sign in to many U.S. government websites. ID.me simplifies how individuals prove and share their identity online and is owned by a private company.
- What might happen after the transition? Social Security says that, during the transition, benefits are not at risk. But with increased focus on safety, might Social Security take the log-in requirements to a new level? In today’s tumultuous environment, who knows?
- What if you don’t set up either account? Right now, there are no repercussions but see the previous question. The best recommendation is to create an account as soon as possible.
What You Should Do
Putting all that together, consider these points.
- Try to access your Social Security account.
- If you have a Login.gov or ID.me account, you’re set.
- If not, create a Login.gov account. DO IT NOW, who knows when the deadline will be.
- Going forward, consider the source of whatever you read about Social Security. If there are no links to the SSA website, look somewhere else.
Don’t be intimidated. The SSA.gov website will guide you along to set up an account and sign in through Login.gov. (An old colleague of mine just went through this successfully, and if he could do it, so can you.)
As a kid, it was fun to see how passing a message from one source to another could corrupt it. However, when dealing with our lives, we need facts. Ignore the speculations.
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