Family Situations Dictates Benefits
National Family Month takes place each year from Mother’s Day in May to Father’s Day in June, and coincides with the end of the school year when families are able to spend even more time together. It is the perfect time to spend more time focusing on each member of your family.
Social Security has your entire family in mind when it comes to coverage and benefits. We’re here to help everyone in the family- during every stage of life.
Most people think of retirement benefits when they think about Social Security, and that certainly is a big part of what we do. In fact, most of the benefits we pay go to retirees and their families-about 41 million people. But Social Security is more than retirement. Just read on.
If you work and pay Social Security taxes during your lifetime, you can look forward to a strong foundation of income in retirement from Social Security. Of course, Social Security was never intended to be your sole source of retirement income. It is a foundation upon which you build with pensions, savings, and other income.
But what if you become disabled before you retire and you are unable to continue working to support your family? Social Security has you covered with disability benefits. If you have a disability that is expected to last a year or longer, or result in death, you should apply for disability benefits.
Your work and taxes cover not only you, but your entire family, too. Family benefits can include retirement, disability and, in the event of your death, survivors benefits. This coverage includes everyone in your family who depends on you for support, such as your minor children who are under age 18, or age 19 if still in secondary school, as well as your spouse. It also can include older children who have severe disabilities that began before age 22. In some cases, parents and grandchildren can qualify for family benefits if they depend on your income and you are their only means of support
If you want to learn more about how Social Security benefits the younger members of your family, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/youngpeople . This page has information for you even if you don’t have children and are a young worker yourself.
So whether through survivors, disability, or retirement benefits, Social Security is here to help you and your entire family when the need arises.
And the best way to apply for benefits is online at www.socialsecurity.gov. Perhaps another popular family member-the family pet-can best explain why applying online is the best option for you. Check out our creative videos on our YouTube channel for sound advice from the four-legged members of the family. Just visit www.socialsecurity.gov and select the YouTube button at the bottom of the page.
Want to learn more? Read or listen to the publication, Understanding the Benefits, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.
Social Security online services makes juggling easy
If you’re crazy about juggling, there’s a holiday just for you: Juggling Day on June 17. The International Juggling Association created this holiday in 1947, earmarking a day for everyone from juggling junkies to inexperienced novices to try their hand at juggling.
These days, with busy schedules and constant multi-tasking, it seems the most common kind of juggling for people is managing the multiple chores and obligations of everyday life. That’s why Social Security created a suite of online services that makes doing business with us a snap.
The best way to juggle a multitude of Social Security tasks online is by creating a personal my Social Security account. It’s easy to register for your personalized online account, and, once you do, you can complete a number of tasks. Check it out at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
Your account gives you immediate access to your personal Social Security information. During your working years, you can use my Social Security to view your Social Security Statement to check your earnings record and see estimates of the future retirement, disability, and survivor benefits you and your family may receive. Are you already receiving benefits? You can use your online account to immediately get your proof of benefits letter, change your address or phone number on our records, start or change your direct deposit, and check your benefit and payment information.
In addition to using my Social Security, there are a number of other things you can do online with Social Security. For example, you can use the Retirement Estimator to plug in different numbers, retirement dates, and scenarios to help you decide the best time for you to retire. It’s available at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.
And when that time comes, you can apply for retirement benefits online at www.socialsecurity.gov/planners/abo ut.htm. It can take as little as 15 minutes from start to finish. In most cases, once you submit your electronic application, that’s it, you’re done-no papers to sign or documents to submit.
From getting the skinny on how to get a replacement Social Security card to an online application for disability benefits, the place to go for juggling all of the services and information offered by Social Security is our website: www.socialsecurity.gov.
Regardless of how many Social Security tasks you may have, leave the juggling to the jugglers and take care of business the easy way at www.socialsecurity.gov.
