Q: “I recently applied for a replacement Social Security card, but I might be moving before it arrives in the mail. What do I do if I move before I get it?”
A: Once we have verified all your documents and processed your application, it takes approximately 10 to 14 days to receive your replacement Social Security card. If you move after applying for your new card, notify the Post Office of your change of address and the Post Office will forward your card to your new address. If you do not receive your card, please contact your local Social Security office. To get another replacement, you will have to resubmit your evidence of identity and U.S. citizenship, or your lawful immigration status and authority to work. You can learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov.
Q: “What is “full retirement age” and what happens if I apply for Social Security benefits before then?”
A: Full retirement age is the age when you are eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits without a reduction in your benefits. If you were born before 1938, your full retirement age is 65. If you were born in 1938 or after, your full retirement age will be higher, depending on the year you were born. You can find your full retirement age at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/retirechart.htm. If you decide to apply for retirement benefits before your full retirement age (as early as age 62), your benefits will be reduced. For example, here’s how it would work if your full retirement age is 66: If you start your retirement benefits at age 62, your monthly benefit amount is reduced by about 25 percent. The reduction for starting benefits at age:
n 63 is about 20 percent;
n 64 is about 13.3 percent; and
n 65 is about 6.7 percent.
You can learn more by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov.
Q: “How does Social Security decide if I am disabled?”
A: For an adult to be considered disabled, Social Security must determine that you are unable to do the work you did before and unable to adjust to any other work which exists in significant numbers in the national economy. Also, your disability must last or be expected to last for at least one year or to result in death. Social Security pays only for total disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or short-term disability (less than a year). For more information, we recommend you read Disability Benefits (SSA Publication No. 05-10029), available online at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10029.html.
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.