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Retirement Estimator
By
Delia De Mello |
 The
sun is out and there are a thousand and one things you could
be doing outside. The last thing you want to do is sit in
traffic on your way to the Social Security office, or to
wait in line once you get there. From your doorstep to the
local office and back again, you could spend a lot of extra
time taking care of your Social Security business. Or, you
could choose to visit our online office at
www.socialsecurity.gov and complete your Social Security
business in a matter of minutes with no commute whatsoever.
There are so many things you can do at our online office.
For example, you can apply online for retirement benefits.
Our website makes it simple, allowing you to apply for
retirement benefits in as little as 15 minutes. In most
cases, once you fill out the application, you’re done. There
are no forms to sign and no documents to submit. The direct
link to applying for benefits online is
www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline. Not ready to retire yet,
or not sure? We have online resources that can help you plan
ahead or make your decision. Our Retirement Estimator will
allow you to enter different scenarios to come up with the
retirement plan best for you. You can find it at
www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.
Perhaps you need to file an application for disability
benefits. A Disability Starter Kit explains the
documentation and information you’ll be required to provide
on the application, and includes checklists and worksheets
to help take the mystery out of applying. You can find the
Disability Starter Kit at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability
on the left-hand side of the page.
You can apply online for Medicare, if you’re within four
months of your 65th birthday. Most people, even those who
don’t plan to start getting retirement benefits right away,
need to apply for Medicare coverage at age 65. The
application takes as little as 10 minutes, from start to
finish. Learn more at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10530.html.
There are other things you can do online, such as apply for
a replacement Medicare card and request an SSA-1099 for tax
purposes. You can learn about these and other online
services at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices. So if
you’d like to soak up some sun this summer, we suggest you
take your Social Security business online. You may even be
able to take your laptop outside and conduct your business
in the great outdoors. See for yourself at
www.socialsecurity.gov.
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About The Author
Delia M.
De Mello has been with the Social Security Administration
since 1986. She was recently promoted to Metropolitan Public
Affairs Specialist and a member of the Office of
Communication’s Multi Language Review team, which translates
and reviews SSA publications in all spoken languages. For
more information, please call (800) 772-1213 or visit
www.socialsecurity.gov.
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