Albuquerque Journal

Stay in touch while away

Variety of services available online through a personaliz­ed Social Security account

- BY NICOLE TIGGEMANN

Summer is here and millions of vacationer­s are packing their bags to visit a new locale and soak up some sunshine. You might be traveling quite a ways. You’re used to staying connected to important informatio­n like your bank accounts and social networks, especially on the go. Social Security is there in the same way — easily accessible when you’re away from your home or office.

When you’re going on vacation and want to be sure your Social Security benefits arrive, use my Social Security. When you open a personal and secure my Social Security account, you can access it on your terms. We put you in control of your financial future.

A my Social Security account is important whether you receive benefits from Social Security or not. You can:

Request a replacemen­t Social Security or Medicare card if you meet certain requiremen­ts; Check the status of your applicatio­n or appeal; Get your Social Security Statement; or Get a benefit verificati­on letter stating that: You receive retirement, disability, Supplement­al Security Income (SSI), or Medicare benefits; or

You never received Social Security benefits, Supplement­al Security Income (SSI) or Medicare; or

You received benefits in the past, but do not currently receive them. (The letter will include the date your benefits stopped and how much you received that year.); or

You applied for benefits but haven’t received an answer yet.

There’s also more you can do with your my Social Security account. Placing the “Applicatio­n Status” feature behind the my Social Security portal provides a secure service delivery channel that allows the agency to provide detailed status informatio­n about your claim without requiring a confirmati­on number. With the new Applicatio­n Status, you can see:

the Re-entry number for in-progress online applicatio­ns;

detailed informatio­n about the current status of the applicatio­n or appeal;

the location where your claim is being processed; and

scheduled hearing informatio­n for appeals. Whether you’re vacationin­g or on a staycation, Social Security’s online services are at your fingertips. With an easy-to-access my Social Security account, you can use multiple online services while barefoot on the beach. How convenient is that? You don’t even have to put your lemonade down at www.socialsecu­rity.gov/ myaccount.

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