Millions of Americans are following the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. And just months before, Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced that in less than two months’ time, 1 million people have gone online, created a My Social Security account and viewed their Social Security Statement.

If there was an Olympics for customer services available online, the services at www.socialsecurity.gov would be the Phelps of that competition. Over the years, Social Security’s online services have been rated the best in government and in all other industries.

“The online Social Security Statement is a huge success,” Commissioner Astrue said. “The online Statement meets our commitment to provide Americans with an easy, efficient process to obtain an estimate of their potential Social Security benefits. I recommend that everyone get in the habit of checking their online Statement each year, around their birthday, for example.”

The online Statement provides estimates for retirement, disability and survivors benefits. It also provides workers as young as 18 a convenient year-round way to determine whether their earnings are accurately posted to their Social Security records, which was not possible when the agency mailed paper Statements only to those 25 and older.

On May 1, Social Security unveiled this new addition to its popular suite of electronic services at www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement, which allows people to access their Social Security earnings and benefit information securely and conveniently.

To access your online Statement, you must be at least 18 years old, have a Social Security number, have a valid email address and have a U.S. mailing address.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), users are giving the online Statement a score of 89 — making it competitive with Social Security’s other top-rated, best-in-government online services, such as the Retirement Estimator and online retirement application. The ACSI tracks trends in customer’s satisfaction and provides valuable benchmarking insights for companies and government agencies.

Whether you want to plan for or apply for your retirement, look into other benefits or learn about the history of the program, you can take a break from the Summer Olympics, visit the Olympian of online services at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Social Security Administration - Generations Magazine - June-July 2013