Worried about waiting in long lines at the Social Security office to file for your retirement benefits?

Get out of line and get online like about 30% of the retirees in southern Utah did in 2008 when they filed for benefits online.  But before you actually file your application, watch our retirement application demo and then click your way to a successful filing.

At www.socialsecurity.gov, click on the “Retirement” tab near the top of the page on the left side.

From there select “Plan Your Retirement”.  Next, click on the box on the right that says “view a Demo of our Retirement Benefit Application.”  The Demo is broken down into six sections—Overview, Welcome to the Application, Questions About You, Questions About Your Work, Questions About Your Benefits and Finishing Your Application—in short all the information you’ll need to navigate the online filing process.

The Demo shows you the actual pages you’ll see when filing and the actual questions that we’ll be asking.  When you file, you’ll answer the questions by clicking on buttons, typing in answers or by choosing answers from drop down boxes.  The Demo uses a moving cursor and highlighted boxes to help you follow the explanations.  It’s so easy your grandchild could do it.   

Since the Demo allows you to see the pages and what information we’ll need, you’ll be able to prepare to file by gathering together everything that you’ll need before you begin.  “Welcome to the Application” and “Finishing Your Application” describe the filing process, explain how you can return to the application if you can’t complete it in one sitting and what to expect after you submit your application.  The other sections walk you through descriptions of the information we’ll need and why we are asking for the information.

New to the “Boomer Business Online” concept and worried that a clumsy click might take you down a path you’d never choose?  Ask your grandchild to help you with the technical aspects of getting online and navigating the application.  Think how thrilled your grandchild will be to help Grandma or Grandpa with their important Social Security business.  And instead of standing in those long lines at Social Security, you’ll be spending the time you saved walking down a path you did choose with your favorite grandchild.    

Shakespeare wrote “Beware the Ides of March,” but that was before tax day found a resting place on April 15 of each year.  Let us help you “be aware” of some Social Security tax tips by answering some of the most common questions we receive about taxes and Social Security.

Are Social Security benefits taxable?  Sometimes.  About one third of beneficiaries pay taxes on their Social Security.  If your total income, including Social Security and all of your other taxable income, is $25,000 or more, you’ll need to pay federal taxes on your benefits.  That amount is $32,000 for married couples filing a joint return.

Will I get a tax form for my Social Security benefits?  Yes, and you should have already received it.  Social Security Benefit Statements (Form SSA-1099) for tax year 2008 were mailed to beneficiaries and should have been received by January 31, 2009.  If you receive Social Security and haven’t received your 1099, you can request one online at https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/i1099/main.html.

We had a baby in 2008.  Do we need a Social Security number for our taxes?  Yes.  Most parents apply for their baby’s Social Security number while still in the hospital at the same time they apply for the birth certificate.  But if you didn’t, you’ll need to apply for your child’s Social Security number in order to claim the child as a dependent on your tax return.  You’ll also need it if you ever apply for government benefits on behalf of the child or your family.

I changed my name when I got married last year.  Do I need to report it to Social Security?  Yes.  If you’ve legally changed your name due to marriage, divorce, court order or for any other reason, make sure you change your name with Social Security.  Make sure you change your name with your employer as well.  If you change with one source but not the other, it could cause your earnings to be improperly recorded.  You can learn more about Social Security numbers and how to change your name in Social Security’s records at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.

Does Social Security have any advice to make tax filing and future benefit applications go smoothly?  We strongly encourage you to carefully check your name, Social Security number and all of the data on your W-2s and on your Social Security Statement is correct.  A mismatch could delay your tax refund and might cause problems with your Social Security benefits in the future.  Such errors are easy to fix now.  If you do notice an error, you should contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or if the incorrect information is on the W-2s, contact the personnel department of your employer.

Be aware of these Social Security tax tips, and you won’t be caught off-guard.  For more information about Social Security, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

In March, Social Security became the first government agency to use the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).  This initiative will cut the time it takes Social Security to get medical records - from weeks or months to only minutes - for people who apply for disability benefits.  Initially this will affect a small number of the people applying for disability benefits, but it will gradually expand.

This year, Social Security will handle almost three million disability claims a year and make over 15 million requests for medical records from over 900,000 medical providers.  Providers have a number of options to respond to these requests, but all require manual intervention before evidence can be entered into Social Security’s electronic disability folder. 

Using the NHIN, when an applicant lists certain medical facilities as treating sources, Social Security’s system automatically sends an electronic message to the hospital’s system requesting the medical record and providing the patient’s authorization.  The hospital’s system automatically responds.  Within minutes, the medical evidence is available for evaluation. 

In addition, we’ve identified medical codes that match portions of 43 conditions in our medical listings.  The agency’s computer system analyzes the data for these codes after receiving hospital records and alerts the disability decision maker so the case can be processed more quickly. 

We at Social Security are doing our part to make the disability determination process more efficient for those who depend on it.  You can do your part, too.  If you need to apply for disability benefits, do it online.  You can learn about Social Security disability benefits, take advantage of our online disability planner and even apply for benefits online at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability.  You don’t have to complete the application all in one sitting; you can take a break and log back on to complete it later without starting over.  Also, you’re able to check the status of your pending application online after you’ve submitted it.

With innovative new technologies like the NHIN, medical codes, and the online application, Social Security is working to reverse the growing disability backlog and reduce the time it takes to make a decision.  To learn more about disability benefits, visit www.socialsecurity.gov and select the “Disability” button along the top banner.

An old family friend has planned an overseas trip this summer to research his family’s roots.  He asked if there were any Social Security or Medicare travel tips that he and his wife should know.  Here is what I told him and it may be useful to those who are planning a trip abroad in the near future.    

First, if you haven’t already done so, you should sign up for direct deposit.  It’s the easiest and most secure way to receive your benefit payments, whether you’re at home or halfway around the world.  With direct deposit, you never have to worry about your check being lost or stolen.  And direct deposit makes funds instantly available to you even when you are not at home to receive and cash your checks.   

You should also be familiar with how your Medicare coverage works outside the United States.  Be aware that Medicare, in most cases, does not pay for hospital or medical services outside the U.S., except for some emergency services in Mexico and Canada.  That is the case even if you get sick or hurt while traveling.

It’s always important to safeguard your Social Security number whether you’re in your own hometown or traveling abroad.  You should always treat your Social Security number as confidential information and avoid giving it out unnecessarily.  Do not carry it with you unless you will need to show it to a service provider during your trip.  The fewer people with access to your number, the safer you are.  That advice is doubly important as you travel far from home.  

Last but not least, if you plan to stay outside the country more than 30 days, other rules may apply.  You can find out about these rules and more by visiting our online publications at

www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/.  Look for the publication Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States.  Or you can call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to ask for a copy to be mailed to you.

If you didn’t sign up for Medicare Part B medical insurance when you first became eligible for Medicare, you now have an opportunity to apply - but time is running out.  The deadline for applying is March 31, 2009.  If you miss the deadline, you will have to wait until 2010 to apply.

Medicare Part B covers some medical expenses not covered by Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), such as doctors’ fees, outpatient hospital visits and other medical supplies and services that are not covered by Medicare Part A.

When you first become eligible for hospital insurance (Part A), you have a seven-month period (your initial enrollment period) in which to sign up for medical insurance (Part B).  After that, you have to pay a higher premium - unless you were covered through an employer’s group health plan or a group health plan based on a spouse’s employment.  You are given another opportunity to enroll in Part B during the general enrollment period, from January 1 to March 31 of each year.  But each 12-month period that you are eligible for Medicare Part B and do not sign up, the amount of your monthly premium increases by 10 percent.

You can learn more about Medicare by reading our electronic booklet, Medicare (SSA Publication No. 05-10043) at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10043.html.  You may also call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to ask for a copy.  Or visit the Medicare website at www.medicare.gov.  You may also call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which the President signed into law in February, provides for a one-time payment of $250 to people receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

The one-time recovery payments will go out in May 2009 and all payments should be received by the end of May.  In April, Social Security will send a letter with additional information to each person who is eligible for the one-time payment.  The payments will be sent automatically, meaning no action is required on the part of the person receiving benefits.  The economic recovery payments will be made separately from a person’s regular monthly payments.

All adults who receive Social Security benefits, including disabled adult children (but not minor children) are eligible for $250 payment.  In addition, all persons who receive SSI payments, including minor children, are eligible for the payment.  Anyone who receives benefits or who was eligible to receive benefits during any of the three months prior to enactment (November and December of 2008 and January 2009) will receive the one-time payment as long as the address of record is in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands.

The payments will be made in the same way that regular monthly payments are made.  People with direct deposit will receive their payments electronically.  Those who receive paper checks will receive their payments in the mail.  People who receive regular payments through the Direct Express debit card will receive their one-time payments through the card.

If someone receives both Social Security and SSI, only one payment of $250 will be made.  The economic recovery legislation also provides for a one-time payment to recipients of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits.  However, if you receive Social Security or SSI benefits and you also receive VA and/or RRB benefits, you will only receive one $250 payment.  The Social Security Administration will send you this payment.

To assist in processing the payments as efficiently as possible, please do not contact Social Security unless you do not receive a payment by June 4, 2009.  Information is available at www.socialsecurity.gov and will be updated regularly.

To learn more about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, visit www.recovery.gov.

If you are divorced, there are several things you should know about Social Security. 

A divorced spouse may be eligible for benefits on more than one work record - such as one’s own record and an ex-spouse’s record.  This applies to both divorced men and women.  If you have never asked Social Security about receiving benefits based on your ex-spouse’s work, you should consider it.

Some divorced people may get a higher benefit based on their ex’s work.

If your ex-spouse is living, you can receive benefits based on his or her work if -

Your marriage lasted 10 years or longer;

You are unmarried;

You are age 62 or older;

The benefit you are entitled to receive based on your own work is less than the benefits you would receive on your ex’s work; and

Your ex is entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits.

If your ex-spouse is deceased, you can receive benefits -

At age 60, or age 50 if you are disabled, if your marriage lasted at least 10 years, and you are not entitled to a higher benefit on your own record; or

At any age if you are caring for your ex-spouse’s child who also is your natural or legally adopted child and younger than 16 or disabled and entitled to benefits.  Your benefits will continue until the child reaches age 16 or is no longer disabled.  In this case, you can receive this benefit even though you were not married to your ex-spouse for 10 years.

When you apply, you will need to give your ex’s Social Security number.  If you do not know his or her number, you will need to provide your ex’s date and place of birth, and parents’ names.  When you apply for benefits, Social Security will be happy to figure out if you are due a higher amount based on your ex-spouse’s record.

Once again, these same rules apply for both ex-husbands and ex-wives.

For more information, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov.  You may want to take a look at our online Retirement Planner at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2.

When you begin to think seriously about taking your retirement benefits, those conversations that you overheard at the pharmacy or in the church parlor will begin to pepper your mind with questions about age requirements and Social Security benefits.  So, what are the important ages associated with Social Security retirement benefits?

AGE 62

This is the earliest age at which anyone can begin to receive Social Security retirement benefits.

Although the full retirement age has been changed, you can still begin benefits at 62.  The benefit that you will receive at age 62 is reduced and stays permanently reduced.  If you retire at age 62, your benefit would be about 25 percent lower than what it would be if you waited until you reach your full retirement age.

AGE 65

Age 65 is the age at which entitlement to Medicare begins for retired workers.  Although the full retirement age has been changed to increase until it reaches age 67, Medicare is still available at 65.  If you are already getting Social Security benefits when you turn age 65, your Medicare starts automatically.  If you are not getting Social Security, you should sign up for Medicare before your 65^th birthday, even if you are not ready to retire.

AGE 67

While the full retirement age is 65 for people who were born before 1938, Social Security law was changed to gradually increase the full retirement age until it reaches age 67.  This change affects people born in 1938 and later.  You will receive the full amount of the benefit you are due, when you begin benefits at your full retirement age.  To find your full retirement age, visit http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/retirechart.htm .

AGE 70

You may choose to keep working even beyond your full retirement age before taking benefits.  If you do, you can increase your future Social Security benefits in two ways.

Each additional year you work adds another year of earnings to your Social Security record.  Higher lifetime earnings may mean higher benefits when you retire.

Also, your benefit will increase automatically by a certain percentage from the time you reach your full retirement age until you start receiving your benefits or until you reach age 70.  The percentage varies depending on your year of birth.  For example, if you were born in 1943 or later, we will add 8 percent per year to your benefit for each year that you delay signing up for Social Security beyond your full retirement age.  To find out more about how delaying your retirement could increase your benefit go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/delayret.htm .  Be sure to remember to sign up for Medicare at age 65 even if you continue to work because in some circumstances, medical insurance costs more if you delay applying for it.

Your Social Security benefit payment is affected by the age at which you decide to retire.  Billie Burke said that “age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese”, but in matters of Social Security retirement planning, you can see that age does matter a great deal.