Question: I plan to file for Social Security Retirement benefits in December using the online benefit application, but I do not want to mail in my birth certificate. May I take it to the Social Security office and have a claims representative verify my age?
Answer: Social Security has made a big change that goes into effect in October 2008, when a new version of the online benefits application is introduced. Under this new system, the proof of age requirement is all but eliminated. Social Security computers will compare the age you enter on your application for benefits with your age data in their files. If the information matches, you will not have to submit your birth certificate; you will not need to take your birth certificate to the Social Security office.

Question: My father-in-law, a widower , died a couple of months ago. We stopped his Retirement Social Security benefit, but we have not received the lump sum death benefit that I thought we would be paid. Do I need to file with Social Security to collect it?
Answer: The special one-time death benefit is paid if a person has enough credits. Since your father-in-law was receiving a Social Security benefit, he met the credits requirement. However, the death benefit is paid only to a surviving widow(er) or minor children. Unless your father-in-law had surviving minor children, no death benefit is paid.

Question: My mother began receiving Social Security widow’s benefits at age 60. She will be 62 next year and has worked and paid Social Security taxes for many years. She is insured for a Retirement benefit on her own record. Could she switch to a benefit on her own account at age 62?
Answer: Yes. Since she is insured on her own record and assuming her benefit on her own record is higher than the widow’s benefit she currently receives. In many cases, a widow(er) can begin receiving one benefit at a reduced rate and then switch to the other benefit on their own record. She could switch to her own record when she reaches full retirement age and receive her own benefit at an unreduced rate. When she reaches age 62, she needs to talk to a Social Security representative about the options available to her.

Question: I retired at age 55 and have not worked since. I will not reach full retirement age until I am 67. My last 3 years of earnings were the maximum on which Social Security tax was paid at that time. Will I receive the maximum monthly Social Security benefit when I file for benefits?
Answer: From the information you have furnished, you will not receive the maximum benefit at age 67. The maximum benefit is paid to people who worked and paid Social Security taxes on the maximum wages subject to tax each year until they reach full retirement age. Your benefit will be figured on 35 years of earnings, on which you paid Social Security taxes. You may have zero years included in your benefit computation plus low earnings years when you first started to work. To receive a more accurate estimate of your retirement benefit, call Social Security and request a form SSA1040; or go to ssa.gov publications and print out the form. This form, Question 6, asks for last year’s earnings on which you paid Social Security tax; this year’s earnings, and estimated future yearly earnings. Since you have not worked, enter zeros in all these answers. You may want to take a reduced benefit before age 67. Include a request for a benefit estimate at any age between age 62 and 67. Age 62 is the earliest age you will be entitled to Retirement Benefits on your Social Security record.

Question: I have Medicare Parts A and B. I do not have a supplemental Medicare policy and am not in a managed care plan. I was in the hospital earlier this year and paid the Part A hospital deductible of $1,024. I have recently been in the hospital and received a bill for that hospital stay of $1,024. Is this bill in error since I have already paid the deductible for 2008?
Answer: No. Since you only have Medicare Parts A and B health insurance, the hospital bill is correct. There was a period of more than 60 days between your first and second hospital stays. You pay $1,024 (the deductible) and no co-insurance for days 1-60 each benefit period. If you are out of the hospital more than 60 days, you are in a new benefit period and were correctly billed for the $1,024 (an example of when you would not be billed – you are in the hospital in April for 10 days beginning April 11. You return to the hospital May 20 for 6 days. You are still in the 1-60 day benefit period so you would not be billed for another $1,024. However, if you returned to the hospital June 28, you would no longer be in the 60 day benefit period). A benefit period ends with the close of a period of 60 consecutive days during which a person was neither an inpatient of any hospital, or an inpatient of any skilled nursing facility for which he or she received a skilled level of care. The inpatient hospital deductible is changed only once during each benefit period even if the patient is hospitalized several times during that benefit period (1-60 days). In your case, you owe the $1,024 hospital bill you received.