If you are trying to locate a Social Security Office near you, we can help. The Social Security Administration (SSA) runs Social Security Benefits, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. You can visit a Social Security office near you to apply for Social Security Card, apply for retirement benefits and disability, and enroll in Medicare among other services.
In this post, we are going to walk you through how to locate the nearest Social Security Administration office near you.
However, before you visit an SSA office location, you can save yourself time by reviewing our frequently asked questions below.
We have provided answers to the top reasons why people visit the Social Security Office. See below.
For the closest Social Security Office near you, continue reading below.
What Can Your Local Social Security Help you with?
Your local Social Security office is the place where you can:
- Apply for a Social Security number;
- Check on your earnings record;
- Apply for Social Security benefits, SSI, hospital insurance protection, and extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs;
- Enroll for medical insurance;
- Receive assistance in applying for food stamps; and
- Get full information about individual and family rights and obligations under the law.
Two (2) Ways to Find a Social Security Office Near You:
Here are the two ways you can find the closest SSA office location:
Option 1 – Use the Social Security Office Locator
The easiest way to find an SSA office location near you is to use the Social Security Administrations’s office locator.
Click here for the locator website.
Once you are on the website, you can search for a Social Security office near you by Zip code, as shown in the image below.
Once you have clicked on the button – “Locate An Office By Zip”, you will be taken to the page below.
Next, enter your Zip code and click the “Locate” button.
You will be shown a list of Social Security Administration offices near you as shown by the image below.
Option 2 – Google Search – Location On
Another way to locate an SSA office near you is to do a Google Search by typing into the Google Search box “Social Security Office Near Me”, as shown in the image below.
However, be sure to have your location turned on in the Google Browser so that your location will be recognized by Google.
That way, Google will show office locations that are closer to your location.
Google will initially show about 3 or 4 closest office locations.
To see more locations, click on the “More locations” as shown below.
FAQs about Social Security Benefits
Here are the most frequently asked questions about Social Security Benefits:
Is Social Security going bankrupt?
The Social Security system is definitely undergoing some financial strain.
There are questions about how long the system will still be available for current and future retirees.
According to a government report, by 2016, the amount of benefits paid out will exceed the amount of taxes put into the system.
Additionally, the Social Security fund could be exhausted by 2037.
Once this happens, benefits would still be paid out but almost certainly reduced by a significant amount.
Also, while it is very unlikely that the system will be allowed to fail, it is important for future retirees to explore all other potential sources of income for retirement in addition to Social Security.
What Is Social Security Full Retirement Age?
Full retirement age, or FRA, is the age when you are entitled to 100 percent of your Social Security benefits.
Depending on the year you were more, your Social Security full retirement age is between age 65 and 67.
Claiming Social Security benefits before the full retirement age will lower your monthly payments.
You can increase your retirement benefits by waiting past your FRA to retire.
Find Your Full Retirement Age
The table below shows the full retirement age based on the year you were born:
| Age to receive full Social Security benefits | |
| Year of birth | Full retirement age |
| 1943-1954 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 and later | 67 |
NOTE: People born on January 1 of any year, refer to the previous year.
How is COLA Calculated?
COLA is calculated based on the wage earners’ consumer price index.
Each year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) calculates the percent change between average prices in the third quarter of the current year with the third quarter of the previous year to determine the COLA.
The reason the fourth quarter isn’t used is that that number is typically not available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics until mid-January.
However, since the COLA is effective on January 1st, it is not possible to use the fourth-quarter data.
See how Social Security benefits are calculated.
Can I work while collecting Social Security Benefits?
The short answer is Yes!
However, whether the income you make will affect how much in Social Security benefits you receive depends on when you start receiving benefits.
If you start receiving Social Security benefits before you reach full retirement age (FRA), then your income from working might reduce the amount of your benefit.
When you start to receive Social Security at your FRA, you qualify to collect 100 percent of the maximum benefit allowed from your earnings history.
Until then, Social Security doesn’t consider you fully “retired” if you make more than a certain amount from work.
As a result, they will deduct a portion of your benefits if your earnings exceed that limit.
However, once you reach FRA, there is no cap on how much you can earn and still receive your full Social Security benefit.
The income earnings limits are adjusted annually.
In 2021, for every $2 earned over $18,960, you lose $1 in Social Security Benefits.
For example, if you have a part-time job that pays $25,000 a year, it means you are making $6,040 over the limit ($25,000-$18,960).
Therefore, your Social Security Benefits will be reduced by $3,020, which is half of the $6,040.
How Is Social Security calculated for married couples?
If your spouse has filed for Social Security benefits, you can also collect benefits based on the spouse’s work record.
However, you have to meet the following criteria:
- You must be are at least 62 years old.
- Regardless of your age, if you care for a child who is entitled to receive benefits on your spouse’s record, and who is under age 16 or disabled.
The spousal benefit is calculated as the greater of the individual’s own worker benefit at Full Retirement Age, or one-half of the spouse’s worker benefit at Full Retirement Age.
You may be eligible for Spousal Social Security benefit if you’re married, formerly married, divorced, or widowed.
While you can collect spousal benefits as early as age 62, the amount of the benefits you will receive will be reduced since you are collecting benefits before your full retirement age.
Can an Ex-Spouse Collect Some of your Social Security Benefits?
Yes, if you are divorced, you may be eligible to collect Social Security benefits based on the earnings of your ex-spouse.
You are eligible to collect spousal benefits on a living former wife’s or husband’s earnings record as long as:
- The marriage lasted at least 10 years.
- You have not remarried.
- You are at least 62 years of age.
- Your ex-spouse is entitled to collect Social Security retirement or disability benefits.
Additionally, your former spouse doesn’t have to be collecting his or her retirement benefits yet for you to claim ex-spousal benefits.
However, if this is the case, the divorce must be at least two years old.
There is no such requirement if your ex is already receiving benefits.
Also, the most you can collect in divorced-spouse benefits is 50 percent of your ex-spouse’s benefits.
How to find Social Security Office near you Summary
Here’s the bottom line:
There are two ways to locate an SSA office near you:
- Option 1 – Using the Social Security office locator.
- Option 2 – Using Google Search – with your browser location turned on.
Questions?
We hope this post on Social Security Office near you was helpful.
If you still have questions, you should leave a comment below.
However, what may be an even greater help is to join our FREE Facebook members group about Making Sense of Social Security Benefits.
It’s a very active group with some really smart people who love to answer any questions you may have about Social Security Benefits.
Also, from time to time, our team of editors drop in to contribute and answer questions.
Finally, be sure to check out our other articles about Social Security and Disability Benefits, including:
