Social Security Tab - 3-20-2011

THE COURIERPAGE 2 SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011www.wcfcourier.com

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Social Security is providing safety net to millions in U.S.

For 75 years, the Social Security Administration has worked dili-gently to deliver on our promise of providing outstanding service

to the American public. What began as a retire-ment program in 1935 has evolved into a safety net for workers, their families and those in greatest need. With the addi-tion of Survivors, Disability, Sup-plemental Secu-rity Income and Medicare benefi ts since our 1935 inception, Social

Security continues to provide fi nancial security for millions of Americans.

We take public service seriously in the heartland, and we strive to provide the fi nest service to our customers throughout our four-state region of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. Our sur-veys indicate a high rate of cus-tomer satisfaction with the qual-ity, timeliness and courtesy with which our staff provides service.

We are improving our disability claims process. New processes dealing specifically with the most disabling conditions such as brain tumors, cancer and end-stage renal disease allow us to fast-track claims that are likely allowances in the earliest stages of the disability process. We still have work to do, but we are mak-ing progress to better serve you.

We are also committed to deliv-ering service the way you want it — whether it be in person, by phone or online. Last year, we welcomed more than 45 mil-lion visitors into our fi eld offi ces nationwide, received more than 82 million calls on our national 800 phone number. Online ben-efi t applications have topped the 2 million submissions mark.

Visit www.socialsecurity.gov. Our website is a simple and secure method for you to esti-mate future benefi ts, apply for benefi ts, obtain forms or pub-lications and order a replace-

ment Medicare card. This is a small sample of what you can do on our website, which we are continuing to revise to make it a one-stop shop for information on Social Security programs and benefi ts, fi nancial planning tools and user-friendly online benefi t applications.

SSA’s online services are top-notch. Our Retirement Estima-tor, Benefi t Application and Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs Application are the three top-rated online services in government and in the private sector, according to the Ameri-can Customer Satisfaction Index. We routinely update our Open Government Initiative website (www.socialsecurity.gov/open/) to ensure you can see what we are doing.

Please visit www.socialsecu-rity.gov and let us know how we are doing as your feedback and questions will help us improve our service.

By GERALD NELSON

District manager, Waterloo area

Social Security reaches almost every family and at some point will touch the lives of nearly all Americans.

It helps not only older Americans, but also workers who become disabled and families in which a spouse or parent dies. Today about 160 million pay Social Security taxes, and about 52 million people receive monthly Social Security benefi ts.

Social Security pays almost $50 million each month in retirement, survivor, disability and Supplemental Security Income benefi ts to more than 53,000 people in Waterloo’s seven-county service area. The table below shows the economic impact on each local county.

Local counties Benefi ciaries Monthly amountBlack Hawk 27,100 $28,136,000Bremer 5,129 $5,664,000Buchanan 4,394 $3,286,000Butler 3,715 $2,706,000Fayette 5,411 $3,670,000Grundy 2,942 $2,403,000Hardin 4,478 $3,530,000TOTAL 53,169 $49,395,000

Most of the Social Security benefi ciaries are retirees and their families — about 36 million people nationwide.

Social Security was never intended to be the only source of income for people when they retire. Social Security replaces about 40 percent of an average wage earner’s income after retirement, and most fi nancial advisers say retirees need 70 percent or more of pre-retirement earnings to live comfortably. To have a secure retirement, Americans need more than Social Security. They also need private pensions, savings and investments.

The Social Security Administration wants you to understand what Social Security can mean to you and for your family’s fi nan-cial future. Our website is a valuable resource for information about how Social Security can help you by visiting us at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Carolyn L. Simmonsis regional

commissioner, Kansas City

region, for the Social Security Administration.

Social Security affects the life of nearly everyone in America

Are you currently on Medicare,or plan to be on Medicare soon?

The Senior Health Insurance Information Program is a free and confi dential volunteer ser-vice off ered through the state of Iowa to help people sort through confusing information about Medicare and health insurance.

The SHIIP program can help you by explaining your Medicare benefi ts and rights. It will com-pare and evaluate:

Medicare supplements.Medicare Advantage plans.

■■

Retiree health plan coverage.Medicare drug plans (Part D).Long term care insurance

policies.Organize your medical bills

and Medicare statements; fi le and appeal claims.

Find assistance for programs that might help with Medicare costs and Medicare drug plans.

Assess your needs so you can make informed decisions about health insurance.

■■■

■

■

■

SHIIP volunteers update their training twice a year at the SHIIP state offi ce. RSVP coordi-nates a SHIIP service on behalf of its sponsor, Covenant Medi-cal Center. To contact RSVP, call 272-2250, or if you live out of the area and would prefer some-thing closer call the state SHIIP offi ce at (800) 351-4664 for the nearest location. You can also visit the SHIIP website at www.TheRightCallIowa.gov

SOCIAL SECURITY

THE COURIER PAGE 3SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 www.wcfcourier.com

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SOCIAL SECURITY

Direct deposit means payments arrive safely on timeThe check is in the mail.Of course, if turbulent weath-

er strikes, it could delay the check from arriving at your mailbox. Then you still have the drive to the bank to cash the check.

These days, almost every-one gets their benefi t payment by direct deposit. Whether you receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income, you can depend on your payment arriving in your account on time, every time. If you don’t already have direct deposit, there are good reasons to sign up. For one, less money and time spent driving to the bank to cash your check helps you save. Second, fewer paper checks, envelopes and stamps — and less fuel to deliver the checks — means less waste and pollution for the environment.

Hurricane season is here for some areas. Other areas bear the brunt of spring fl ooding. Some areas of the nation are plagued by tornadoes and still others must deal with wild-

fi res, severe thunderstorms or even earthquakes. If you are unfortunate enough to be in the line of a natural disaster, the last thing you want is for your income to be interrupted

because of an evacuation or a missing mailbox. With direct deposit, you know your pay-ment will be in your account on time no matter what.

When on vacation, direct deposit ensures payments will be deposited into your account on time, so there’s no reason to worry about the safety of your benefi t or to ask a neighbor to look out for your check when you are away.

As an added bonus, many banks offer free checking accounts for people who use direct deposit because it saves the bank the cost of processing paper payments. Plus, the pay-ment probably will show up in your bank account sooner than a paper check will appear in the mailbox, and there’s no need to cash it. It’s already in the bank.

If you do not have a bank

account, we have you covered. Through the Direct Express card, you can receive your ben-efi ts via direct deposit, without a bank account. The card has no minimum balance and no annu-al fee. If you are already receiv-ing benefi ts, call (877) 212-9991 to get enrolled, or contact your local Social Security offi ce.

Beginning in May, if you are signing up for Social Securi-ty benefi ts, direct deposit will be mandatory. If you are cur-rently receiving benefi ts direct deposit will become mandatory in May 2013.

Learn more about it at www.socialsecurity.gov/deposit.

Social Security does not endorse the advertisers within this supplement.

THE COURIERPAGE 4 SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011www.wcfcourier.comW

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SOCIAL SECURITY

A person walks into a local bank, looking for a loan to purchase a car. They have all the proper identifi cation, including a Social Security number. They sign on the dotted line, agreeing to pay back a loan of $50,000.

However, this person is not who they say they are. They have the correct ID, but this information is stolen, ripped off from some-one else’s trash bin. The new car owner does not intend to pay back this loan, sticking someone else with the bill and negative credit report.

Identity theft often starts with a Social Security number. Once a thief has a valid number, he or she can open or re-activate cred-it card accounts in your name, apply for federal or state benefi ts or make changes in your fi nancial accounts. That nine-digit SSN is a valuable fi rst step in assuming someone’s identity. And it also is

why protecting your Social Secu-rity number is the fi rst step in preventing identity theft.

1. Treat your Social Security number as confi dential infor-mation and avoid giving it out unnecessarily.

2. Keep your Social Security card in a safe place with other impor-

tant personal papers. Do not carry it with you unless you need to show it to an employer or service provider. The fewer people with access to your number, the safer you are.

3. Shred unneeded documents. Don’t just throw away paperwork that includes your name, Social

Security number or other per-sonal information on it — shred it. When you get junk mail, shred it before you toss it. If you don’t have a shredder, try ripping your paperwork several times and placing half of each document in diff erent trash bags. If you fail to shred it, it could become free credit for someone else.

4. Monitor your credit records. The major credit reporting ser-vices are required by law to pro-vide you with a free credit report each year upon request. You can contact Equifax, Experian and Transunion and ask for your free reports. Go to www.annualcre-ditreport.com/cra/index.jsp to request a free credit report.

5. Social Security works hard to protect your number from mis-use. For example, we require and carefully inspect proof of identity from people who apply to replace lost or stolen Social Security cards

or who request corrected cards. One reason we do this is to pre-

vent people from fraudulently obtaining Social Security num-bers to establish false identi-ties. We maintain the privacy of Social Security records unless a law requires us to disclose infor-mation to another government agency or if your information is needed to conduct Social Secu-rity or other government health or welfare program business.

For more information, visit our online leafl et ‘‘Identity Theft and Your Social Security Num-ber’’ at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10064.html. Or call us at 1-(800)-772-1213 (TTY 1-(800)-325-0778) and ask for the leaf-let. If you think you have been a victim of identity theft, contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or 1-(877)-438-4338; TTY (202) 326-2502)

By DEB YANKEY

Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol Coordinator

If you are receiving Medicare benefi ts, you or your spouse and your past employer paid for the promise of those benefi ts being available when you retired or became disabled. Those Medicare tax contributions were made over the course of many years. In addi-tion, you (or someone on your behalf) are now paying premiums for your Medicare coverage.

Take this short quiz:1. Are you interested in whether

you have enough money on hand to support yourself during retire-ment or disability?

2. Do you typically look at your bank account and investment statements to check the balance and current value?

3. Are you interested in whether you have the most possible Medi-care benefi ts in order to reduce your out-of-pocket health care expenses?

4. Do you typically look at your Medicare Summary Notice and

explanation of benefi t statements from other health insurance coverage?

We may be able to read your mind. You answered “yes” to numbers 1, 2 and 3. You answered “no” to number 4.

The Offi ce of Inspector Gen-eral (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), which investigates Medicare and other federal health program fraud, posted their most-wanted list of 10 individuals who’ve allegedly defrauded taxpayers of more than $124 million. (This is available at www.oig.hhs.gov.) Each of these individuals was able to steal from Medicare or Medicaid, an aver-age over $10 million. Annually, at least $60 billion is lost from Medicare and other federal health programs due to fraud and errors (a conservative estimate).

And if you lose your Medicare card or unknowingly give your Medicare number to someone planning to commit fraud, crimi-nals can claim your Medicare benefi ts using your identifi cation

number.Another threat to the security

of your future Medicare ben-efi ts is simply mistakes in pay-ments, Start reading your Medi-care Summary Notice and other insurance explanation of ben-efi t statements. If you need an explanation, phone Medicare at 1-(800)-633-4227 or your other insurance carrier or ask the medical provider that submitted the claim. Watch for something billed twice, a service you did not receive, a medical provider you didn’t see or who wasn’t involved in your care (for example, you may not “see” a doctor who interpret-ed X-ray or test results).

If the problem is an error, ask your medical provider to correct the Medicare claim, then watch for a new Medicare Summary Notice showing a change in pay-ment. If you have supplemental insurance, they should re-pro-cess your benefi ts after Medicare does.

What can you do if you try this and it doesn’t work or if you sus-

pect fraud has occurred? Contact Senior Medicare Patrol at Hawk-

eye Valley Area Agency on Aging, Waterloo, at 1-(800)-423-2449.

Protecting your SSN is key to preventing identity theft

Tips can help prevent Medicare coverage mistakes, fraud


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SOCIAL SECURITY

As we progress through our 76th year as the nation’s most successful domestic program, we at Social Security would like to remind you that we have helped America by helping Americans.

We are a lifelong agency: from receiving a Social Security num-ber as a baby, through retire-ment benefi ts as a senior. If you encounter hardships along that path, Social Security is there to help with disability programs to assist you.

As you can imagine, with more than 75 years of history, we have quite a story to share.

We could tell you about how we help keep older Americans out of poverty.

We could mention our disabil-ity benefi ts and work incentive programs that help people get back on their feet.

We could spotlight the depen-dent families of those left

behind when a worker dies and how survivor benefi ts help them survive.

These are all stories worth telling.

However, the best stories belong to you. We recently asked Americans to share their Social Security stories with us, and the response was overwhelming.

“Social Security is my lifeline,” wrote one person. “It is diffi cult at best to live within the limit of my income, but it would be impossible without it.”

“As a WWII combat veteran and a hard working man since the age of 10 being raised on a farm, without my Social Secu-rity retirement I would spend my senior years as a homeless derelict,” wrote another. “Thank God for Social Security.”

Another man wrote, “When I began contributing to the Social Security fund, I was a young man and never thought that one day I

would look forward to receiving my monthly check. Now it is an important day in the lives of my wife and me when our checks arrive.”

Not all comments were about retirement benefi ts. Disability benefi ts also make a big diff er-ence in the lives of Americans.

“I am so grateful for Social Security Disability. I truly believe I would be dead by now if not for the help I have received,” wrote one recipient.

“Disability benefi ts saved my life,” said a veteran. “After com-bat service as a corpsman with the Marines in Desert Storm, I spent 16 years in emotional tur-moil. Because Social Security provided a fi nancial safety net, I was able to obtain treatment for PTSD and will soon return to the world of the working (and the tax paying). God bless America and God bless the Social Secu-rity Administration.”

A similar sentiment came from this person: “I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world. After being placed on disability for an on-the-job injury, Social Security helped me maintain a lifestyle adequate for my fam-ily. For years, I paid into the program and complained every time I looked at my paycheck. I now see the reason for the pay-ments. Thank God for the USA and Social Security.”

These are just a few of the comments we received. Read more Social Security sto-ries from Americans like you at www.socialsecurity.gov/75thanniversary/readstories/1.html.

Why Social Security is important to you



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SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security FAQs Disability Social Security’s biggest challengeI know from personal experi-

ence how diffi cult Social Secu-rity’s disability process can be.

When my father was 52, he suf-fered a severe cerebral hemor-rhage caused by a rare form of brain cancer. As I took care of the appli-cation for him, it opened my eyes to the complicated rules associated with our disabil-ity programs.

Each year, approximately 2.5 million people apply for Social Security disabil-ity benefi ts. On average, one-third of them are approved upon initial application, which takes an average of three months for a decision. But for those who are denied and appeal the decision to the hearing level, it can take a long time to receive a decision — much too long, in my opinion.

Right now, there are more than 750,000 cases waiting for a hearing and the average time to get a hearing decision is about

500 days. Pending hearings have doubled since 2001. In addi-tion, the number of applications for disability benefi ts has been extraordinarily high throughout the last seven years, and we can expect it to be even higher in the coming years.

Social Security’s disabil-ity programs have grown signifi -cantly over the last seven years and will continue to do so at an increasing rate as aging baby boomers reach their most dis-ability-prone years. At the same time, Congress has added new and nontraditional workloads to Social Security’s responsi-bilities. As a result, the agency is struggling to balance those new responsibilities with its core workloads under tight resource constraints.

That’s why I’ve made improv-ing the disability determination process my top priority. It is our most pressing challenge.

Last year I appeared before the Senate Finance Committee to present an aggressive plan to reduce the backlog and improve the disability process. These new initiatives will eliminate the

hearings backlog and prevent it from recurring. Let me give you a few examples.

The fi rst is the Quick Disabil-ity Determination, a process based on a computer model that allows us to screen cases with a high potential for approval. The QDD process has proved highly successful in the Boston region, and the average processing time now is just eight days. On Sept. 5, 2007, the agency issued a fi nal rule extending QDD nationwide. As of February 2008, every state is processing QDD cases and about 5 percent of all allowances will be handled through QDD.

The second, compassionate allowances, is a way of quickly identifying medical conditions that invariably qualify under our listings. In these cases, which are often rare diseases unfamil-iar to reviewers, allowances will be made as soon as the diagno-sis is confi rmed. In December 2007, we held the fi rst public hearing on this initiative and will hold three more hearings this year.

You can learn more about compassionate allowanc-

es at www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.

In addition, Social Security has opened a National Hearing Cen-ter. The NHC allows the agency to capitalize on new technolo-gies such as electronic disability folders and video teleconferenc-ing and gives needed fl exibility to address the country’s worst backlogs. We also are hiring 175 new administrative law judges, the largest group of new ALJs ever hired by Social Security in a single year. We expect to start bringing these ALJs on board in the spring.

These are but a few of the many initiatives the agency has under way. When it comes to eliminat-ing disability backlogs, there is no single magic bullet. But with additional staff , enhanced busi-ness processes and improved ways of fast-tracking targeted cases, I believe we can improve the disability process and wait-ing times.

To learn more about Social Security’s plan to reduce the hearings backlog and improve service, go to www.socialsecu-rity.gov/hearingsbacklog.pdf.

Michael J. Astrue

is commissioner of the Social

Security Administration.

■ When fi ling for Social Security benefi ts, you should fi le online or contact the offi ce about three months prior to your 62nd birthday. If you receive your benefi ts and continue to work, keep this in mind:■ If you were born between Jan. 2, 1943, and Jan. 1, 1955, your full retirement age is 66■ You can earn up to $14,160 per year without it affecting your benefi ts. After that, we will take $1 for every $2 over that limit. ■ In the year that you turn 66, your earn-ings limit increases to $37,680, and we only take $1 for every $3 over that.■ Once you have reached the month of full retirement, there is no limit to your earnings.

MedicareIf you choose to delay receiving benefi ts

and want to receive Medicare only, fi le online or contact your local Social Security offi ce within three months of your 65th birthday.

There are three separate fi ling windows for Medicare Part B:■ Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) – This enrollment period runs from three months prior to your 65th birthday to three months after your 65th birthday. This enrollment period takes precedence over the other enrollment periods.■ Special Enrollment Period (SEP) – In or-der to qualify for this enrollment period, you or your spouse must be covered under a group health plan AND employed. Medicare will not accept COBRA as a substitute. After you or your spouse retire or cancel your coverage, you have seven months to enroll in Medicare Part B. After that, you will have to enroll in the general enrollment period. As soon as you know when you or your spouse will retire, or cancel your coverage through your employer, contact your local Social Security offi ce.■ General Enrollment Period (GEP) – This enrollment period runs from Jan. 1-March 31. Coverage will not start until July 1 of that year.

SSA card ■ If you have lost your Social Security card, we will need a valid form of identifi ca-tion in order to obtain a duplicate. The same holds true if you need a replacement card for your child. A birth certifi cate is not a form of identifi cation. We can use the fol-lowing as identifi cation:■ Valid drivers license or state ID cards. ■ Passport■ Medical or school record with your name and date of birth on the record. In addition, it must be signed and dated within the last six months.■ If you are a lawful alien, you will need to provide your immigration documents.■ If you are changing your name, we need to see the original or certifi ed copy of the document that states your name is chang-ing, i.e. marriage certifi cate, divorce decree.


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SOCIAL SECURITY

Apply online to avoid waitingIf you are tired of waiting in line

or waiting on hold, Social Secu-rity has the solution for you.

Visit our online offi ce and fi le for retirement benefi ts, change your address or direct deposit information or fi nd a wealth of information in an instant.

Waiting in line is frustrating and time-consuming. The past year has seen a recession-driven increase in applications for Social Security retirement and disabil-ity benefi t applications. These increases translate into busier offi ces and telephone lines.

Rather than waiting to hear your number called, visit the fastest Social Security offi ce in the nation at www.socialsecu-rity.gov. There, you can apply online for retirement, spouses’ and disability benefi ts. There’s no need to fi ght the traffi c to visit an offi ce or wait for an appoint-ment. Our website makes it simple, allowing you to apply for retirement benefi ts in as little as 15 minutes.

Individuals who choose to delay receiving retirement benefi ts, but have reached age 65, can fi le for their Medicare benefi ts online.

If you are nervous about fi l-ing online or concerned that we will not receive your application, we’ve got you covered. After you click “submit,” your applica-tion comes to the Social Security offi ce where we will review it and follow-up with a phone call to you. If you need to change some-thing in your application, or just have questions our claims repre-sentatives will assist you.

The website can also assist you if you are still in the planning stages. Our Retirement Estima-tor will allow you to enter diff er-ent scenarios to come up with the retirement plan best for you. You can fi nd it at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

If you have a disabling con-dition that prevents you from working, our online services make it easy to fi le for disability benefi ts. The Disability Starter Kit makes it easy to prepare for your disability application. The kit explains the documenta-

tion and information you will be required to share on the applica-tion, and includes checklists and worksheets to help take the mys-tery out of applying. You can fi nd the Disability Starter Kit at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability on the left side of the page.

If you need a Medicare replace-

ment card or an SSA-1099 for tax purposes, visit socialsecurity.gov to request those documents. They will be sent directly to your address within four weeks.

If you are looking to fi le for retirement, Medicare or disabil-ity benefi ts, look no further than www.socialsecurity.gov.


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SOCIAL SECURITY

June 2, 1936 — The Social Security account number, which contained no signifi cant facts about the employee other than the state of registry, was approved by the Social Security Board.

Oct. 14, 1936 — The fi rst fi eld offi ce was opened at Aus-tin, Texas. Today there are more than 1,400 offi ces that include regional offi ces, fi eld offi ces, card centers, teleservice centers, pro-cessing centers, hearing offi ces, the Appeals Council and state and territorial partners, the Dis-ability Determination Services. There also is a presence in U.S. embassies around the globe.

Nov. 5, 1936 — The Depart-ment of the Treasury’s Decision 4704 was approved, providing the authority both for the assign-ment of Social Security identifi -cation numbers to employers and account numbers to employees.

Aug. 10, 1939 — President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Amendments of 1939. The program was broad-ened to include dependents and survivors’ benefi ts.

Jan. 31, 1940 — Ida M. Fuller became the fi rst person to receive an old-age monthly benefi t check

under the new Social Security law. She paid in $24.75 between 1937 and 1939 on an income of $2,484. Her fi rst check, dated January 31, was for $22.54.

Aug. 1, 1956 — The Social Security Act was amended to provide monthly benefi ts to per-manently and totally disabled workers aged 50-64; to pay child’s benefi ts to disabled chil-dren aged 18 or older of retired or deceased workers, if their disability began before age 18; it lowered to age 62 the retire-ment age for widows and female parents.

The Servicemen’s and Veterans’ Survivor Benefi ts Act amend-ed the Social Security Act by extending regular contributory coverage under old-age and sur-vivors insurance to members of the uniformed services on active duty after 1956. Military ser-vice wage credit provisions were extended to the end of 1956.

July 30,1965 — President Lyndon Johnson signed H.R. 6675 to provide health insurance for the elderly, Medicare. It was signed in Independence, Mo., in the presence of Harry S. Truman who opened the fi ght for such legislation in a message to Con-

gress in 1945.Oct. 30, 1972 — President

Richard Nixon signed the Social Security Amendments of 1972 (Public Law 92-603). The law liberalized several of the cash benefi t provisions, made sub-stantial changes in Medicare, revised the contribution sched-ule, amended some cover-age provisions, and established a new Federal security income program for the needy aged, blind and disabled (the SSI pro-gram). Although administered by Social Security, SSI payment are funded by general tax revenues, not Social Security taxes.

Oct. 1, 1988 — Nationwide 800 number service implemented.

Oct. 1, 1999 — SSA began mailing 125 million Social Secu-rity statements to all workers 25 years of age or older. Statements are sent on an annual basis.

April 7, 2000 — The Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-182) was signed into law, eliminating the Retire-ment Earnings Test for benefi -ciaries at or above normal retire-ment age.

Dec. 8, 2003 — President George W. Bush signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug,

Improvement and Moderniza-tion Act of 2003.

Jan. 8, 2010 — Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, and Chubby Checker, Grammy Award winner and rock ‘n’ roll legend, launched a new campaign to inform millions of Americans about a new “twist” in the law that makes it easier to qualify for extra help with Medi-care prescription drug costs. The extra help program currently

provides assistance to more than 9 million senior and disabled Americans.

Aug. 14 , 2011 — Social Securi-ty will mark its 75th anniversary.

Source: Social Security Admin-istration historical chronology.

Milestones in Social Security history



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SOCIAL SECURITY

Survivors’ benefi ts can provide assistance to family members in case of early death

By CHRIS LEACH

Claims Representative

The loss of a loved one can be painful. The death of a wage earner upon whom a family depends also can be fi nancially

devastating.Some of the

Social Security taxes you pay go toward providing survivors insur-ance for workers and their families. Think of it as a life insurance policy you never knew

you had — paid for by the same taxes that cover you for retire-ment or disability.

When you die, certain members of your family may be eligible for survivors benefi ts. These include

widows, widowers (and divorced widows and widowers), children and even dependent parents. In many cases, there also is a one-time lump-sum payment of $255 paid to a surviving spouse or minor children.

One in eight of today’s 20-year-olds will die before reaching their full retirement age of 67. In fact, 98 of every 100 children could get benefi ts if a working parent dies. More than 6.4 million sur-vivors receive benefi ts. The aver-age survivors benefi t is $1,129 a month.

If you are a surviving spouse, inquire about survivors bene-fi ts, especially if you have minor children. Apply by phone or at any Social Security offi ce or call toll-free at (800) 772-1213 (TTY: 1-(800)-325-0778).

You’ll need:

Proof of death — either from a funeral home or a death certifi cate.

Your Social Security number, as well as the deceased worker’s.

Your birth certifi cate.Your marriage certifi cate, if

you are a widow or widower.Your divorce papers, if you are

applying as a divorced widow or widower.

Dependent children’s Social Security numbers, if available, and birth certifi cates.

Deceased worker’s W-2 forms or Federal self-employment tax return for the most recent year.

Bank name and account num-ber for direct deposit.

Read the online publication at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10084.html or visit www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/survi-vors.htm.

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Chris Leach

By SERGIO VILLARREAL

Claims Representative

Here are a few important March reminders:

If you plan to claim your children or other dependents on your tax return, you’ll need to have a Social Security num-ber for each. If you don’t have a Social Security number for a dependent, apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.

If you receive Social Security benefi ts and your total annu-al income is $25,000 or more for an individual or $32,000 or more for a couple, you may need to pay taxes on a portion of your benefi ts. If so, you’ll need your SSA-1099, which shows the total amount of benefi ts received in the previous year. All 1099s were mailed by Jan. 31. If you have not yet received the 1099 for 2010, request a replacement at www.socialse-

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curity.gov/onlineservices. If you’re covered under

Medicare Part A but originally opted not to apply for Medi-care Part B, now’s the time to enroll. General enrollment ends on March 31. Medicare Part A helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or in a skilled nurs-ing facility following a hospital stay, some home health care and hospice care. Part B helps pay for doctors’ services and many other medical services and sup-plies not covered by hospital insurance. Learn more about Medicare at www.socialsecu-rity.gov/pubs/10043.html.

If you’re not already retired and receiving benefi ts, there’s no better time than the pres-ent to visit Social Security’s Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator for an instant, personalized esti-mate of your future retirement benefi ts.

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Important March deadlines


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SOCIAL SECURITY

Farmers, growers need to think about protecting workers

By MATT SULENTIC

Service Representative

As American farmers and growers prepare for the next planting season, they should

also make sure they know how Social Security can help protect their workers.

If you are a farmer or grower, the workers you hire become part of a system of income protec-

tion that pays monthly Social Security benefi ts to a worker and his or her family when the work-er retires, becomes disabled or dies.

Farm owners need to report wages and pay the taxes due, as most of their workers are “cov-ered” by Social Security. Farm owners may face an IRS penalty if these taxes are not paid or the wages go unreported.

Farm workers cannot be con-sidered independent contractors if they are working under a farm owner’s direction and control. They are employees, and their wages must be reported to Social Security. Some farmers hire “crew leaders” to manage their farm workers and to handle their wage-reporting responsibilities. In these cases, the crew leader is often considered the “employ-er” of the farm worker and has the responsibility for submitting wage reports.

Whether a farmer or crew leader submits wage reports, employers should make sure that they use the name and number exactly as it is shown on the worker’s Social Security card and record earnings for each employee.

If you employ farm workers

you must keep a record for each worker, collect and pay Social Security taxes, prepare Form 943 (Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return for Agricultural Employ-ees) and provide a pay statement and prepare a W-2 form.

For more information about tax responsibilities, read IRS Publication 51, Circular A (Agri-cultural Employer’s Tax Guide). You can order IRS forms and publications by calling 1 (800) Tax-Form (1-800-829-3676). For more information about agricultural work and Social Security, visit www.socialsecu-rity.gov and read the electronic pamphlet, “A Guide for Farmers, Growers, and Crew Leaders.” Or you can call Social Securi-ty’s toll-free number at (800) 772-1213 (TTY 1-(800)-325-0778) and ask for the bilingual pamphlet.

Matt Sulentic

What service members should know about disability benefi tsBy KRISTA KOPRIVA

Social Security Service Representative

It is important that members of the military service and their families understand how Social Security disability benefi ts can help wounded service personnel.

Disability benefi ts are expe-dited for injured military service personnel, regardless of where or how the injury occurred.

President George W. Bush cre-ated the Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors to increase access to ben-efi ts for returning service mem-bers who have been wounded.

Military personnel pay Social Security taxes and earn Social Security coverage. Earnings for active duty military service or active duty training have been covered under Social Security since 1957. Service personnel who had inactive duty service in the reserves have had Social Security coverage since 1988.

The number of credits need-ed to qualify for Social Security depends on age. For example, if a person becomes disabled before age 24, then he or she would gen-erally need only about 1 1/2 years of recent work.

If the wounded service member has suffi cient work, Social Secu-rity must decide whether he or she meets the defi nition of dis-ability. Basically, if the person cannot work because of a physi-cal or mental condition that is expected to last at least one year, he or she may be eligible for Social Security disability benefi ts. Even if the wounded service member is

receiving pay while disabled, he or she may be eligible.

Social Security provides ben-efi ts for total disability, not partial disability. If someone qualifi es for disability from another agency, that doesn’t make them eligible for SS disability benefi ts.

Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors or call (800) 772-1213.


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SOCIAL SECURITY Q&A

Q. What are the four parts of Medicare?

A. The four parts are:Hospital insurance (Part A),

which helps pay hospital bills and some follow-up care. The taxes you (or your spouse in some cases) paid while working fi nanced this coverage, so it’s premium free. For those who are not “insured,” cov-erage may be purchased.

Medical insurance (Part B), which helps pay doctors’ bills and other services. There is a monthly premium you must pay for Medicare Part B and you may refuse this coverage.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which generally cover many of the same benefi ts a Medigap policy would cover, such as extra days in the hospital after you have used the number of days Medicare covers.

People with Medicare Parts A and B can choose to receive all of their health care services through one of these provider organizations under Part C. There might be additional pre-

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miums required for some plans; and

Prescription drug coverage (Part D), which helps pay for medications doctors prescribe for treatment.

Anyone who has Medicare hos-pital insurance (Part A), medical insurance (Part B) or a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) is eligible for prescription drug coverage (Part D). Joining a Medicare pre-scription drug plan is voluntary and you pay an additional month-ly premium for the coverage.

Q. I can’t get health insurance because of my pre-existing con-dition. Is there anything I can do?

A. You may be eligible for the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan . For more infor-mation, call (866) 717-5826 or TTY (866) 561-1604) between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Or visit www.pcip.gov and select “Find Your State” to learn about eligibility and how to apply.

— McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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Marriage, divorce, name changes can affect your benefi tsName change

If you change your name, be sure to tell both Social Security and your employer. This will ensure that your earnings will be properly reported by your employer and recorded in our records. You can get a new card from Social Security with your new name.

How divorce affects your future retirement benefi ts

If you are divorced after at least 10 years of marriage, you can collect retirement benefi ts on your former spouse’s Social Security record if you are at least age 62 and if your former spouse is entitled to or receiv-ing benefi ts. If you remarry, you generally cannot collect benefi ts on your former spouse’s record unless your later marriage ends (whether by death, divorce or

annulment). For more informa-tion, see “If You Are Divorced” at www.ssa.gov.

How divorce affects survivors benefi ts

If your divorced spouse dies, you can receive benefi ts as a surviving divorced spouse if the marriage lasted 10 years or more. Benefi ts paid to a sur-viving divorced spouse who is 60 or older will not aff ect the benefi t rates for other survi-vors receiving benefi ts. For more information, see “If You Are The Worker’s Surviving Divorced Spouse” at www.ssa.gov.

How remarriage affects survivors benefi ts

In general, you cannot receive survivors benefits if you

remarry before the age of 60 unless the latter marriage ends, whether by death, divorce or annulment.

If you remarry after age 60 (50 if disabled), you can still collect benefi ts on your for-mer spouse’s record. When you reach age 62 or older, you may get retirement benefi t on the record of your new spouse if they are higher. Your remar-riage would have no eff ect on the benefi ts being paid to your children.

How marriage may affect your adult disabled child benefi ts

If you receive benefi ts as an adult disabled since childhood, these benefi ts generally end if you get married. Depending on your situation, some marriages (for example, to another adult

disabled child) are considered protected.

The rules vary depending on your situation, so you should talk

to a Social Security representative at (800) 772-1213 or TTY (800) 325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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Documents

Social Security Tab - 3-20-2011