Social Security Column
On Vacation? Social Security Is Still Here for You
By Phil Walton
Social Security Manager in
Toledo, OH
Summer is here and millions of vacationers are packing their
bags to visit a new locale and soak up some sunshine. You
might be traveling quite a ways. You’re used to staying
connected to important information like your bank accounts
and social networks, especially on the go. Social Security
is there in the same way — easily accessible when you’re
away from your home or office.
When you’re going on vacation and want to be sure your
Social Security benefits arrive, use my Social Security.
When you open a personal and secure my Social
Security account, you can access it on your terms. We
put you in control of your financial future. A my
Social Security account is important whether you receive
benefits from Social Security or not. You can:
o
Request a replacement
Social Security or Medicare card if you meet certain
requirements;
o
Check the status of your
application or appeal;
o
Get your Social
Security Statement; or
o
Get a benefit verification
letter stating that:
§
You receive retirement,
disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Medicare
benefits; or
§
You never received Social
Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or
Medicare; or
§
You received benefits in
the past, but do not currently receive them. (The letter
will include the date your benefits stopped and how much you
received that year.); or
§
You applied for benefits
but haven’t received an answer yet.
There’s also more you can do with your my Social Security
account. We’re always adding new features and resources to
make your life easier and give you greater control over your
benefits. Placing the “Application Status” feature behind
the my Social Security portal provides a
secure service delivery channel that allows us to provide
detailed status information about your claim without
requiring a confirmation number.
With the new Application Status, you can see:
o
the Re-entry number for
in-progress online applications;
o
detailed information about
the current status of the application or appeal;
o
the location where your
claim is being processed; and
o
scheduled hearing
information for appeals.
Whether you’re vacationing
or on a staycation, Social Security’s online services are at
your fingertips. With an easy-to-access my Social
Security account, you can use our multiple online
services while barefoot on the beach. How convenient is
that? You don’t even have to put your lemonade down at
www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
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