How to verify Social Security income for a tenant

Ask for a benefit verification letter

The Social Security Administration calls it a benefit verification letter, or a proof of income letter. It states the Social Security or SSI benefits a person receives, and the SSA says it can be used as proof of income, for example for housing assistance or a mortgage.

• Online: in a my Social Security account at ssa.gov, under “Replacement Documents”, the applicant can get a benefit verification letter and view, print or save it right away.
• By phone: 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). The SSA mails the letter to the address on file within 10 business days.

Watch it come from the SSA

A PDF can be edited like any other document. The most reliable copy is the one you see the applicant download from their my Social Security account, the same way you would a bank statement.

Find the payment in the bank statement

Social Security pays on a fixed schedule, so the deposit should appear on the same kind of day each month:

• If the person filed for benefits on or after May 1, 1997, they're paid on a Wednesday, set by the birth date of the person whose record the benefits are paid on: the second Wednesday for birthdays on the 1st to the 10th, the third Wednesday for the 11th to the 20th, and the fourth Wednesday for the 21st to the 31st.
• People who filed before May 1997, or who get both Social Security and SSI, are paid Social Security on the 3rd of the month.
• SSI is paid on the 1st, or on the business day before when the 1st falls on a weekend or federal holiday.

The deposits should match the letter's amount and arrive on the expected day. A difference is a reason to ask, not proof of anything.

Be consistent

Count benefit income in your criteria the same way for every applicant who receives it, and check the rules where your property is about income from benefits.