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Spend
some quality time on Social Security's website
Send a link to a friend
[July 20, 2011]
Summertime
is here, and for many people that means vacation. Some of the best
vacations are the ones that allow you to spend time with family who
live far away.
If you’re planning to visit
your kids and grandkids this summer, why not make the most of your
time with them? You may know your way around a computer.
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But youngsters today who grew
up on a computer can teach most of us some new tricks. And they’d
probably be thrilled to share some online time with their
grandparents. Ask them to pull out their tablet, iPad, or laptop
and show you how to find your way around Social Security’s website,
www.socialsecurity.gov.
Ask them to show you how to use
www.socialsecurity.gov
to avoid unneeded trips to a Social Security office. Have them show
you our library of online publications containing all the
information you might want to know on an array of Social Security,
retirement, and Medicare subjects. The publications can be found at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/index.html.
If you’re thinking about retirement, for example, you may want to
check out When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10147.html.
(Unlike some libraries, there’s no due date to remember.)
That was easy! With the
young ones helping you, you might as well go ahead and spend another
15 minutes to get the job done. No need to put on your shoes and
sunglasses — you can apply online without having to leave your home.
Visit
www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline
where you can apply for retirement benefits in as little as 15
minutes. Once you click the “submit” button, you’re done; in most
cases there are no forms to sign or documents to mail in.
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Here’s a way to get the
attention of the young ones: ask them about Facebook and Twitter.
Once they’ve got you on Facebook, you’ll have a new way of
connecting with them. Did you know Social Security is on Facebook
and Twitter too? Just go to
www.socialsecurity.gov
and click the Facebook and Twitter icons on the main page.
Visiting your kids and
grandchildren can be a lot of fun. Make it productive as well by
asking the young whiz kid in your family about
www.socialsecurity.gov.
By Judith Bartels
Social Security District
Manager in Springfield, IL
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