50+ Lifestyles

YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY Rock Island, Illinois Office

By Cristina Vital
Manager
Rock Island Social Security office

Rock Island, Illinois Social Security Office to Close to the Public a Half Hour Early Each Day and at Noon on Wednesdays

Effective November 19, 2012, the Davenport, Iowa Social Security office will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday. In addition, beginning January 2, 2013, the office will close to the public at noon every Wednesday.

While agency employees will continue to work their
regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims work without incurring the cost of overtime. The significantly reduced funding provided by Congress under the continuing resolution for the first six months of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the agency to provide the overtime needed to handle service to the public as it has done in the past.

In addition, on November 23, the day after Thanksgiving, all Social Security field offices will be closed to the public. As we did last year, employees working that day will focus on reducing backlogged workloads.

Most Social Security services do not require a visit to a local office. Many services, including applying for retirement, disability or Medicare benefits, signing up for direct deposit, replacing a Medicare card, obtaining a proof of income letter or informing us of a change of address or telephone number are conveniently available at www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778. Many of our online services also are available in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov.

YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY STATEMENT IS A GIFT TO YOURSELF

This holiday season, give yourself a holiday gift that could be one of the best (and easiest) financial steps you ever take for your future. Give yourself the gift of your own Social Security Statement. You can get yours online at www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement.

The online Social Security Statement is simple, easy to use, and provides estimates you can use to plan for your retirement. It also provides estimates for disability and survivors benefits, making the Statement an important financial planning tool.

Your Statement also allows you to determine whether your earnings are accurately posted to your Social Security records. This feature is important because Social Security benefits are based on average earnings over your lifetime.

To get a personalized online Statement, you must be age 18 or older and must be able to provide information about yourself that matches information already on file with Social Security. In addition, Social Security uses Experian, an external authentication service provider, for further verification. You must provide identifying information and answer security questions in order to pass this verification. Social Security will not share your Social Security number with Experian, but the identity check is an important part of this new, thorough verification process.

When your identity is verified, you can create a “My Social Security” account with a unique user name and password to access your online Statement. In addition, your online Statement includes links to information about other online Social Security services, such as applications for retirement, disability, and Medicare.

THE TWELVE SITES OF SOCIAL SECURITY

One of the most popular traditional holiday songs is “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Last year, we introduced our own classic: “The Twelve Sites of Social Security.” It was a big hit, so we’ve remixed it for the new holiday season.

For the first site of Social Security, we present to you: our home page, www.socialsecurity.gov. It’s the place to go for all things Social Security. Everything you could want — from online services and benefit screening tools to publications and press releases — you can find easily from this starting place.

For the second site of Social Security, we present to you:
our brand new online Statement. You’ll find it at www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement. The Statement provides you with a personalized estimate of future Social Security benefits — retirement, disability, and survivors. It also provides your earnings record for your lifetime, allowing you to check to make sure your earnings are posted correctly.

For the third site of Social Security, we present to you: an easy way to learn how to replace your Social Security card at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.

For the fourth site of Social Security, we present to you: an online application for retirement benefits that you can complete and submit in as little as 15 minutes at www.socialsecurity.gov/applytoretire.

For the fifth site of Social Security, we present to you: five estimates of your future Social Security benefits! Or one, or as many estimates as you would like using different scenarios. Get instant, personalized estimates of your future benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

For the sixth site of Social Security, we present to you: a secure, convenient way to apply for disability benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability.

For the seventh site of Social Security, we present to you: an online application for Medicare that you can complete in as little as 10 minutes, at www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly.

For the eighth site of Social Security, we present to you: Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs. You can learn more and apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp.

For the ninth site of Social Security, we present to you: our convenient publication library with online booklets and pamphlets on numerous subjects, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

For the tenth site of Social Security, we present to you: America’s most popular baby names. Learn about popular baby names and trends based on Social Security card applications over the years at www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/babynames.

For the eleventh site of Social Security, we present to you: a way to get your Social Security forms online, at www.socialsecurity.gov/online.

On the twelfth site of Social Security, we present to you: services for people who are currently receiving benefits, like the ability to replace your Medicare card, get or change a password, request a proof of income letter, or check your Social Security information or benefits. You can do these and other things at www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/getservices-change.htm.

And a partridge in a pear tree. Find it all (except the partridge and pear tree) at www.socialsecurity.gov.