By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist Questions and Answers Question: I’m trying to figure out how much I need to save for my retirement. Does the government offer any help with financial education? Answer: Yes. The Financial Literacy and Education Commission has a website that can help you with the basics of financial education: www.mymoney.gov. You may also want to check out the Consumer … Continue reading Social Security Q&A Part 51

By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist October 12th is National Savings Day. It serves as an important reminder to plan for your financial future. Social Security is a vital part of any financial plan. We have online tools to help you understand your potential benefits and how they fit into your financial future.  Regardless of your age, you should periodically review your Social Security Statement (Statement) using … Continue reading National Savings Day Reminds Us to Plan for the Future

By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist Are you eligible for Social Security retirement benefits or already receiving them? Did you know that you can also receive healthy meals and other nutrition services through the national Senior Nutrition Program? Local meal programs in communities across the country are waiting to serve you. As we age, we have different needs, different ways we take care of our health, and … Continue reading Stay Healthy and Independent with Senior Nutrition Programs

By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist At Social Security we strive to make our services more accessible while maintaining your privacy. We installed new kiosks in most of our local offices to make it easier for you to check in and conduct businesswith us. The kiosks are private, easy to use without assistance, and provide consistent service to our customers.  Modifications to earlier screens have improved the check-in process, especially for our … Continue reading Social Security Installs New Kiosks to Improve Customer Check-In Process

By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist For nearly 90 years, Social Security has provided income protection to millions of retirees, people with disabilities, their dependents, and families who’ve lost a family member who worked and paid Social Security taxes before they died. In addition to paying benefits, we issue millions of Social Security numbers each year, maintain wage records to make sure workers … Continue reading Celebrating 89 Years of Social Security

By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist Questions and Answers Question:  Do we have to withhold Social Security taxes from our housekeeper’s earnings? Answer: It depends on how much you’re paying the housekeeper. If you pay a housekeeper or other household worker $2,700 or more in cash wages throughout the year, you must deduct Social Security and Medicare taxes. This holds true for a … Continue reading Social Security Q&A Part 50

By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist The terms and acronyms people use when they talk about Social Security can be a little confusing. Knowing where to find easy-to-understand definitions can be very helpful. We’re here to provide resources to help you understand much of what you need to know about Social Security and our terminology.  If there’s a technical term or acronym that you don’t know or understand, you … Continue reading Social Security in plain language

By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist A well-informed instructor can have a powerful influence on their students. That’s why we created the Educator Toolkit. This toolkit is easy to use and provides shareable online resources that teachers can use to engage students and educate them about Social Security.  The Educator Toolkit includes: • Lesson plans with objectives. • Infographics and handouts for each lesson plan. • Links to Social Security web … Continue reading Social Security supports teachers

By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist Social Security works with ourOffice of the Inspector General (OIG) to protect you from scams that use Social Security as bait. Section 1140 of the Social Security Act allows OIG to impose severe penalties against anyone who engages in misleading Social Security-related advertising or imposter communications.   OIG may impose a penalty against anyone who: • Mails misleading solicitations that appear to be … Continue reading How we protect you from misleading advertising and communications

By Hillary Hatch, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist Elder abuse is the intentional mistreatment or harming of an adult over age 60. This abuse can take many forms – physical, emotional, sexual, and financial exploitation, as well as neglect. In the United States, an estimated 1 in 10 adults over the age of 60 experience some form of abuse each year. That number is likely much higher because elder abuse is often underreported – … Continue reading Combating Elder Abuse