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YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY | Davenport, Iowa Office

By Pam Shaw
Social Security District Manager
Davenport Social Security Office

SOCIAL SECURITY AND SCAM AWARENESS

Social Security imposter scams continue to be widespread across the United States. Scammers use tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money. If you receive a suspicious letter, text, email, or call, do not respond.

We will NEVER:

• Text or email images of an employee’s official government identification.
• Suspend your Social Security number.
• Threaten you with arrest or other legal action unless you immediately pay a fine or fee.
• Require payment by retail gift card, wire transfer, internet currency, or cash by mail.
• Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment.
• Mail or email “official” letters or reports containing your personal information.

We only send text messages in limited situations, including:

• When you have subscribed to receive updates and notifications by text.
• As part of our enhanced security when accessing your personal my Social Security account.

If you owe money to us, we will mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights. Social Security employees do contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record or have requested a phone call from the agency. If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, Social Security will typically mail a letter.

We encourage you to report suspected Social Security imposter scams — and other Social Security fraud — to the OIG’s website at oig.ssa.gov/report. You can find more information about scams at www.ssa.gov/scam. Please share this information with your friends, family, and colleagues to help spread awareness about Social Security imposter scams.

SOCIAL SECURITY’S SCHOOL EMPLOYEES AND SURVIVORS BENEFITS TOOLKITS

We’ve released new resources to help you better understand Social Security benefits. We’ve designed easy-to-use toolkits to provide education about our programs for children and our benefits for families after the death of a loved one. Our toolkits (School Professional and Survivor Benefits) are downloadable PDFs that include ready-to-go communications, such as sample email blasts, newsletter articles, handouts, and social media posts.

The School Professional Toolkit at www.ssa.gov/marketing/assets/materials/toolkit-ss-benefits-and-ssi-payments-for-children.pdf is for teachers, school counselors, and other
educators. The purpose of this toolkit is to educate parents and guardians about the financial help we provide. We make payments to students with disabilities and to those who have experienced the loss of a parent or have a parent who is receiving retirement or disability benefits.

The toolkit discusses:

• Eligibility requirements.
• How to apply.
• How to respond to requests for school records and forms.
• Evidence we need from school professionals to determine whether a child with a disability may be eligible for SSI.

The Survivors Benefits Toolkit at www.ssa.gov/marketing/assets/materials/toolkit-ss-survivors-benefit.pdf is for funeral homes, care facilities, and other organizations
working with people who have lost a loved one. This toolkit increases awareness about survivors benefits for eligible family members. We make monthly payments to surviving spouses, minor children, adult children with disabilities, and dependent parents of workers who paid Social Security taxes before they died.

The toolkit discusses:

• Eligibility requirements.
• How to apply.
• Evidence we need to process applications.

For more information about our toolkits, visit the blog post titled New Resources for School Employees and Survivors at blog.ssa.gov/new-resources-to-educate-school-employees-and-survivors.

Please help us spread the word about our toolkits with your colleagues and others who may find them helpful.

QUESTION & ANSWER

Question:

What is the estimated average Social Security payment that a person receives each month?

Answer:

The estimated average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker in 2025 is $1,976.00. The average monthly Social Security benefit for a worker with a disability in 2025 is $1,580.00.