Articles (Social Security) « Social Security

Articles About Social Security

• Coordinating Social Security disability and retirement benefits (10/17/16)
  For married couples deciding when and how each should claim retirement benefits, disability benefits can often complicate the scenario.  Can one spouse claim spousal benefits on a worker who is collecting Social Security disability benefits? The short answer is yes.  
• Do You Qualify for Social Security Disability? (11/26/17)
  Social Security disability benefits can be a lifesaver if you become disabled. However, qualifying for these benefits can be quite a challenge. 
• How to Change, Remove, or Report a Representative Payee (Disability Rights Washington)
  This publication is for adult beneficiaries and explains how a beneficiary can ask SSA to change or remove a rep payee and how a beneficiary can report a rep payee for misuse of funds.
• How Social Security, IRS Handle Durable Powers of Attorney (The Seattle Times – Oct. 29, 2007)
  Information and links regarding this important topic.
• How Student Loans Could Hit Your Social Security (Market Watch – 8/10/12)
  It’s no secret that falling behind on student loan payments can squash a borrower’s hopes of building savings, buying a home or even finding work. Now, thousands of retirees are learning that defaulting on student-debt can threaten something that used to be untouchable: their Social Security benefits.
• How to Get a Social Security Lump Sum Retirement Benefit  (9/10/2015)
  You probably don’t know it, but Social Security can give you a big, lump-sum check for $40,000 or $50,000 or even more — a bonus, like winning a lottery. Should you take the bucks?    
• Judges pressured to deny disability appeals, one judge tells the AJC (Atlanta Journal Constitution – 12/21/17)
  Statler is one of more than 1 million Americans who wait an average of nearly two years to get a ruling on their disability claim. In the meantime, many of these workers face terrible financial and medical hardships. Some literally die waiting.
• Michigan Residents Can Replace Their Social Security Card Online (Elder Law of Michigan – 5/17/18)
  As long as you’re only requesting a replacement card, and no other changes, you can use our free online service from the comfort of your home or office. All you need to do is create a my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.  
• Need to Change Your Name on Your Social Security Card? (Elder Law of MI – 11/1/18)
  Are you changing your name? If so, let Social Security know so we can update your information, send you a corrected card, and make sure you get the benefits you’ve earned.
• Part B Premiums in 2010: Frozen for Many, Higher for Some (AARP Bulletin – 5/7/09)
  No Social Security cost-of-living increase next year means higher costs for some beneficiaries and states.
• Preserving Social Security (Huffington Post – 4/23/12)
  It might surprise many in Washington, but if you ask hardworking Americans what their greatest economic concern is they don't say budget deficits or the national debt. No, what I hear most often from Americans is that they are frightened at the prospect of being financially insecure in retirement.
• Preserving Social Security (Time Goes by – 5/29/10)
  It’s past time that Social Security’s advocates, friends and beneficiaries quit playing defense for the single most popular American program and take the offensive against those who attack and lie about Social Security with intent to kill it.
• Setting the Stage to Kill Social Security (Time Goes By – 4/11/12)
  Congress is in recess for a couple of weeks, but that doesn't mean they, along with their corporate and media handmaidens, aren't busy cooking up ways to kill everything that benefits people who are not rich – old ones like you and me included, of course.
• Treasury Plans Social Security Debit Card (Wall Street Journal – Jan. 4, 2008)
  The Treasury Department plans to introduce a prepaid debit card for Social Security recipients in an effort to provide safer and cheaper benefits payments. 
• When is a Good Time to Start Receiving Social Security Benefits? (3/8/18)
  After a lifetime of working, you deserve a comfortable retirement. For over 80 years, Social Security has been helping people shape their future, assisting them with a variety of benefits. It’s up to you as to when you start retirement benefits. You could start them early or wait until your “full retirement age,” or delay retirement to get extra money each month. There are benefits to either decision.