Uncover Your Social Security Status In Minutes You Wont Believe What Youll Find
This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013.
After you submit the appropriate paperwork and supporting documentation for a social security claim (whether for disability or SSI), the Social Security Administration determines whether you're eligible for Social Security and how much money you may receive each month. Their decision may take some time, but you're allowed to check on your claim status. Knowing how to check the status of a Social Security claim is important because it can help you can keep up to date on your benefits.
This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013. This article has been viewed 236, 202 times.
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If you’ve submitted your paperwork for a social security claim, you can find the status of your claim online or by phone. To check your claim status online, first, visit the Social Security Administration website and enter your social security number, which should bring up your case and claim status. Keep in mind that it takes some time for your claim to enter the system, so it may not appear if you recently filed your claim. You can also call 1-800-772-1213 to check the status of your claim. Make sure to have your information and social security number ready when you call. To learn how to check your claim status in person, read more from our Legal co-author!Because of a cost-saving measure, most people must now make an extra effort to learn how big their Social Security checks will be
Have you noticed that the Social Security Administration has stopped mailing its annual statement outlining your estimated monthly Social Security benefits and your earnings history?
Turns out, the agency stopped sending out those paper statements in April 2011 to save $70 million a year on printing and postage. (In February 2012, the Social Security Administration resumed mailing them only to workers 60 and older who aren’t receiving Social Security checks yet.)
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In early May, however, the SSA began letting everyone over 18 obtain their estimated benefits and earnings records at its website, socialsecurity.gov. So if you're under 60, this information is only available online.
That means it’s now up to you to hunt down these key figures. You should do so every year to help estimate your eventual retirement income. The SSA won’t remind you, so make a point of doing this on your birthday and consider it a retirement gift to yourself.
Seeing these numbers has a powerful effect on retirement planning. Mark Miller, a columnist at Reuters, recently cited a Social Security Advisory Board survey, noting that more than half of those who read their Social Security statement said they increased their savings rate or revised their financial plans as a result.
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To find out how easy the process of tracking down my Social Security Statement online would be, I just ordered my own after creating what's known as “my Social Security Account.”
It only took about 10 minutes to get my report — which is identical to the old paper version — and the process wasn’t especially difficult.
Working with the credit bureau Experian, Social Security asks you a few questions to verify your identity. I did have to rack my brain, though, to remember the lender for our home-equity line back in the early '90s. New York Times blogger Ann Carrns was tripped up when she was asked the name of the pet for which she had recently bought pet insurance, since she hadn’t purchased a policy.
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If you flunk the verification procedure, you can go to a local Social Security office to prove your identity then set up an online account there.
Once you answer Social Security’s online questions, you’ll immediately see your personalized statement. Assuming you’ve worked long enough to qualify for benefits, here’s what the statement will include:
It’s smart to check your Social Security statement annually to see if it contains any errors and, if so, to correct them. (Some or all of your 2011 earnings might not appear on the statement, because Social Security may still be processing those figures.) If you spot a mistake on any earnings before last year, call Social Security at (800) 772-1213; you’ll need to have your W-2 or tax return handy when you do.
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If you just want a rough idea of your eventual Social Security retirement benefits, you can still use the agency’s online Retirement Estimator tool (Next Avenue has a link to it).
One more technological change coming from Social Security: Starting in March 2013, all Social Security checks will be sent electronically — either direct deposited to bank accounts or through prepaid debit MasterCards. Sorry, the checks won’t be in the mail.
Richard Eisenberg is the former Senior Web Editor of the Money & Security and Work & Purpose channels of Next Avenue and former Managing Editor for the site. He is the author of How to Avoid a Mid-Life Financial Crisis and has been a personal finance editor at Money, Yahoo, Good Housekeeping, and CBS MoneyWatch. Read More
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