What’s the Social Security Administration good for? A typical first response could be “helping seniors weather the costs of retirement,” and that’s actually true. However that’s not all it does.
As with Social Security itself, many Individuals don’t perceive precisely how the company operating this system works — or the best way to take full benefit of it.
Following are a number of companies you might not have realized the SSA gives.
1. Advantages for non-retirees
If you realize nothing else concerning the SSA, you in all probability understand it gives retirement advantages to folks of a sure age. That’s what Social Security is all about, proper?
But it surely additionally gives advantages to many others — widows, dad and mom, youngsters, the disabled and the blind.
Study a lot of these advantages and their eligibility necessities in our story, “7 Social Security Benefits You May Be Overlooking.”
2. Assist with Medicare drug prices
Medicare, the federal medical health insurance program for seniors, is technically administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Nonetheless, Social Security helps hold issues easy by dealing with enrollment in Medicare Components A and B. It additionally handles functions for “Extra Help,” a program that lowers the price of Medicare Half D for eligible seniors by about $5,000 per 12 months, according to SSA estimates.
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3. Alternative Medicare playing cards
For those who lose your Social Security card, it is sensible you’d go to the SSA to request a replacement.
What you won’t know is that you may additionally request a substitute Medicare card from the SSA online. (You also can do that over the cellphone by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.)
4. Proof of revenue
In sure conditions, corresponding to when making use of for presidency help, an residence, mortgage or another mortgage, you could be required to offer proof of revenue.
One piece of proof may come from the SSA, in what’s known as a Social Security Profit Verification Letter.
Opposite to what the identify suggests, you don’t have to be receiving advantages to get one. In reality, because the SSA website factors out, these letters can be used as proof that you just don’t obtain advantages or haven’t up to now.
5. Child identify concepts
Whereas it could by no means have occurred to you, the SSA naturally has a wealth of details about the names of Individuals — it has to place them on all of the playing cards, in any case.
So when you’re interested by the most well-liked child names within the nation, the SSA has info going all the way back to 1880. You can discover out probably the most continuously given names in a given 12 months, decade, or over the previous century, even damaged down by state.
6. Calculators for a lot of widespread questions
The prospect of retirement raises a number of questions: How lengthy will I dwell? When ought to I cease working? How a lot cash can I get from the federal government in numerous situations?
The SSA maintains several calculators to assist with these questions and extra.
7. A blast from the previous
Have you ever ever had a “back in my day” dialog with somebody about your first job?
The SSA can tell you precisely how a lot you earned in any given 12 months in your on-line “earnings record.”
Even when you’re not enthusiastic about a bit of journey down reminiscence lane, it is best to nonetheless usually test your earnings file. As we clarify in “9 Social Security Terms Everyone Should Know,” it could actually get more durable to appropriate any potential errors over time, as a result of lack of your tax data and employer info.
8. Consultant payees
Typically folks turn out to be unable to handle the cash they’re receiving from Social Security or Supplemental Security Earnings. In these instances, Social Security can appoint what are known as representative payees to handle cash on their behalf.
You can designate a number of folks you belief to be your payee ought to the necessity come up. Or, as needed, the SSA can select for you amongst pals, household or certified organizations.