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Subject: Social Security Update - May 2011
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2011 11:06:34 -0400
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Social Security Update - May 2011
Each month Social =
Security=20
pays nearly $60 billion in benefits to almost 60 million =
beneficiaries. We=20
are committed to making those payments timely and accurately, and =
we=20
strive to protect taxpayer dollars by minimizing improper =
payments, which=20
is why we made preserving the public's trust in our programs a =
strategic=20
goal. We're happy to report that more than 99 percent of all =
Social=20
Security payments are accurate; Supplemental Security Income =
payments are=20
91.6 percent accurate.
Efforts to prevent, =
detect,=20
and collect improper payments are complex, and require =
knowledgeable=20
employees to analyze the cases and make decisions. Our employees =
are our=20
best defense against improper payments. That's why it is important =
that=20
Congress support the critical funding President Obama requested =
for Social=20
Security.
Learn more about =
this subject=20
by reading Deputy Commissioner Carolyn Colvin's testimony before =
Congress.=20
=
www.socialsecurity.gov/legislation/testimony_031711.html=20
Learn more about =
our efforts=20
to reduce improper payments at our website. http://www.socia=
lsecurity.gov/improperpayments/
Three Years of the Retirement=20
Estimator
=20
It's been=20
three years since Social Security's Retirement Estimator =
went=20
online. Within months of its launch, the online application was =
praised as=20
one of the highest-rated online services around, and it has =
consistently=20
remained so every year.
Results from=20
the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) show Social =
Security's=20
online Retirement Estimator in one of the top two spots, =
with a=20
score of 90. (Social Security's online benefit application took =
the top=20
spot.) The ACSI is the only uniform, national, cross-industry =
measure of=20
satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available in =
the=20
United States. The Retirement Estimator ranks higher than =
the=20
websites of any other public and private sector agencies and =
companies,=20
including the likes of Netflix and Amazon.
Millions of=20
people have used the Retirement Estimator. Please =
encourage your=20
clients to try it out for a quick, personalized estimate of future =
retirement benefits by sending them to http://www.socialsecuri=
ty.gov/estimator/.=20
It's also available in Spanish, at http://www.soc=
ialsecurity.gov/espanol/calculador/.=20
(Back to=20
Top)
If It's Not .Gov, It's Not Social=20
Security
Please tell your clients to be =
careful when=20
exploring the Internet for Social Security services.
There are=20
websites that charge people for free Social Security services. =
Some of=20
these sites, at first glance, appear to be affiliated with Social=20
Security. But they're actually for-profit sites charging a fee for =
what=20
should be free. For instance, a quick Google search on "replacing =
a Social=20
Security card" brings up paid advertisements for sites that charge =
just to=20
get an application for a new card=97something anyone can do for =
free at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/=20
So tell your=20
clients to boldly go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/,=20
and make sure they look for the ".gov" sign along the way. =
(Back to=20
Top)
Direct Deposit One =
Step Ahead=20
of Hurricane Season
With the 2011 hurricane season under way, people still =
receiving paper=20
checks from Social Security should sign up for Direct Deposit. =
Direct=20
Deposit is a secure and convenient way to receive Social Security=20
payments, particularly when a natural disaster strikes. Having =
funds=20
available in the event of a storm is critically important. =
Eighty-seven=20
percent of people receiving benefits already take advantage of =
Direct=20
Deposit.
As of May 1,=20
2011, anyone who applies for Social Security or Supplemental =
Security=20
Income benefits must receive payments electronically, and all =
current=20
beneficiaries must switch to electronic payments by March 1, 2013. =
Why=20
wait? Encourage your clients to sign up today at http://www.godirect.org/
=
(Back to=20
Top)
Subscribe to =
Social=20
Security Update today and you'll always =
be in the=20
know when it comes to Social Security news. All we need is your =
e-mail=20
address.
![3D"Social](3D"http://www.socialsecurity.gov/newsletter/images/logo-update.gif"=20){kind=logo}
![3D"improper](3D"http://www.socialsecurity.gov/newsletter/images/improperpayments.j=)
Each month Social =
Security=20
pays nearly $60 billion in benefits to almost 60 million =
beneficiaries. We=20
are committed to making those payments timely and accurately, and =
we=20
strive to protect taxpayer dollars by minimizing improper =
payments, which=20
is why we made preserving the public's trust in our programs a =
strategic=20
goal. We're happy to report that more than 99 percent of all =
Social=20
Security payments are accurate; Supplemental Security Income =
payments are=20
91.6 percent accurate.![3D"retirement](3D"http://www.socialsecurity.gov/newsletter/images/estimater-online.j=)
=20
![3Dsocialsecurity.gov](3D"http://www.socialsecurity.gov/newsletter/images/ssa-logo.gif"=20){kind=logo}
Please tell your clients to be =
careful when=20
exploring the Internet for Social Security services. ![3D"Go](3D"http://www.socialsecurity.gov/newsletter/images/go-direct2.jpg"=20)
![3D"Subscribe](3D"http://www.socialsecurity.gov/newsletter/images/envelope1.jpg"=20)
Subscribe=20
here.