Q. “I don’t have direct deposit yet, so I still get a check in the mail. What do I do if I did not receive my Social Security check?”
A: If you still are receiving checks by mail, please wait until three days after the date you normally receive your payment before calling. If you still have not received your payment by then, contact us at 1-800-772-1213. Please consider direct deposit for future payments because you will never have to worry about late or missing payments. Learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov/deposit.
Q: “How do I request proof of my benefit amount?”
A: You can use your SSA-1099 form as proof of your income if you receive Social Security benefits, or you can use the annual cost-of-living adjustment notice as verification of your current benefits. You also can make an online request for a proof of income letter at https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/BEVE/main.html, or you may call Social Security’s toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may call our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
Q: “I began collecting Social Security retirement benefits at 62, but also continued working. Now I am full retirement age. Do I need to report my earnings to Social Security?”
A: No. When you reach full retirement age, you no longer need to report your earnings to Social Security. You do, however, need to report earnings for those months in the calendar year before the month you reach full retirement age. For example, if you reach it in May, you would need to report your earnings total for the four earlier months.
If you are under full retirement age when you start getting your Social Security payments, $1 in benefits will be deducted for each $2 you earn above the annual limit. For 2010 and 2011, that limit is $14,160. In the calendar year you attain full retirement age, $1 in benefits will be deducted for each $3 you earn above a higher annual limit up to the month of full retirement age attainment. For this year and next, that limit is $37,680. Learn your full retirement age by consulting the chart at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/agereduction.htm.
Q: “I’m retired and I get a monthly withdrawal from an IRA. I plan to apply for Social Security benefits. Will the money from my IRA be considered earnings that could reduce my monthly benefits?”
A: No. Nonwork income such as pensions, annuities, investment income, interest, capital gains, and other government benefits are not counted and will not affect your Social Security benefits.
For more information, we suggest the following publications: “Retirement Benefits” (Publication No. 05-10035) and “How Work Affects Your Benefits” (Publication No.05-10069). You can find both online at www.socialsecurity.gov.
Get answers to your Social Security questions each Thursday from the Social Security District Director Martin Coffey. Submit questions by writing to Business Editor John Vass Jr., Chattanooga Times Free Press, P.O. Box 1447, Chattanooga, TN 37401-1447, or by e-mailing him at jvass@timesfreepress.com.