Senior News Briefs

Connect with Your Social Security Account from Anywhere

This article is provided by the Social Security Administration

The Social Security Administration continues to find ways to make doing business with them easier. The "Social Security Video Connect" option allows you to conduct your Social Security business by using a video on your personal device, from your preferred location.

Social Security Video Connect is available for:

• No-change replacement Social Security cards (U.S. citizens only).
• Date of birth corrections (U.S. citizens only).
• Benefit applications.
• Redeterminations.
• Overpayments.
• Medicare.

How to Get Started:

To get started with this new service, you will need a computer, tablet, or smart phone with a webcam and internet access. Once you have your device, complete the following steps:

Contact your local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213 between 8am and 7pm Monday through Friday to schedule a video appointment. A representative will determine if a video appointment is appropriate for you. If a video appointment isn't appropriate for your needs, they can conduct the interview over the phone or in the office. 

• Provide your email address and phone number to receive an email with a link for the Microsoft Teams meeting.
• Connect with the Social Security representative using that Microsoft Teams meeting link on the date and time of your appointment. 

If you run into issues with Teams or need to reschedule your appointment, contact your local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213.

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EARLIER SENIOR NEWS BRIEFS:

Dear Reader, we typically run this "Savvy Senior" column in our Health and Aging News section, but this column by Jim Miller (savvysenior.org) seems appropriate for today's Senior News Update. 

Jim Miller is answering the question: "Can I stop my Social Security retirement benefits and restart them later to get a bigger payment? I recently got a nice, unexpected inheritance, so don’t need the money from Social Security right now. If possible, I would like to suspend my benefits and restart them at age 70."

Jim replies: Yes, there are actually two different strategies that allow Social Security beneficiaries to undo their claiming decision. But to be eligible, there are certain conditions you’ll have to meet. Here’s what you should know.

Withdrawal Benefits

If you are in your first year of collecting retirement benefits, you can apply to Social Security for a “withdrawal of benefits.” Social Security will let you withdraw your original application for retirement benefits, but it must be within 12 months of the date you first claimed your benefits.

If you opt for a withdrawal, Social Security will treat it as if you never applied for benefits in the first place. But there’s a catch. You’ll have to repay every dollar you’ve received, including those of any family members who have been collecting benefits on your earnings record, such as a spouse or minor child, along with any money that was withheld from your Social Security payments – for example, to pay your Medicare premiums.

You can only withdraw your application for Social Security benefits once, but you can apply for benefits again later when the monthly amount would be larger.

To withdrawal your benefits, fill out Social Security form SSA-521 (see ssa.gov/forms/ssa-521.pdf) and send the completed form to your local Social Security office.

If you change your mind, you have 60 days from the date Social Security approves your withdrawal to cancel the request.

Suspend Benefits

If, however, you miss the 12-month window, or if repaying your Social Security benefits is not financially feasible, there is another do-over option, but you’ll need to be full retirement age or older to be eligible.

Full retirement age is 66 and 6 months for those born in 1957, but it rises in two-month increments every birth year to age 67 for those born in 1960 and later. You can find your full retirement age at SSA.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/ageincrease.html.

At that point, you can “suspend” your Social Security benefit and the good news is you don’t have to repay anything. But the bad news is your monthly Social Security benefits stop and so do those of any dependent family members (except a divorced spouse).

During the suspension, you will also accrue delayed retirement credits, which will increase your monthly retirement benefit by two-thirds of 1 percent for each suspended month (or 8 percent for each suspended year) up until age 70.

Suspended benefits would automatically resume at 70, or you could choose to resume Social Security benefits earlier, but you’d only receive delayed retirement credits for the period when benefits were suspended.

You can request a Social Security suspension over the phone (800-722-1213), in writing or in person at your local Social Security office. The suspension would begin the month after you make the request.

Also note that if you’re enrolled in Medicare, there’s another consequence of withdrawing or suspending your benefits.

Normally, Medicare Part B premiums ($174.70 per month in 2024 for most beneficiaries) are deducted directly from monthly Social Security payments.

If you withdrawal or suspend your benefits and you’re enrolled in Medicare Part B, you’ll start receiving a quarterly bill from Medicare. You’ll have the option of paying electronically or by mail. Or you can sign up for Medicare’s Easy Pay, which automatically deducts your premium payments from your savings or checking account each month.

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Security Announces Upcoming Changes to Accessing Online Services

Agency Transitioning Authentication Services to Login.gov

The Social Security Administration announced that customers who created an online account (e.g., my Social Security account) before September 18, 2021, will soon be required to transition to a Login.gov account to continue access to their online services. Over five million of these account holders have already transitioned to Login.gov.

The agency is making the changes to simplify the sign-in experience and align with federal authentication standards while providing safe and secure access to online services. 

“my Social Security is a safe and secure way for people to do business with us,” said Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley. “We’re excited to transition to Login.gov to access our online services, streamlining the process and ease of use for the public across agencies.”

Account holders are encouraged to sign-in now. When the user logs in, they will be presented with an option to easily transition to Login.gov. Once their account is successfully linked, a confirmation screen will appear, and they will have immediate access to their personal my Social Security services or other service that they were attempting to access. 

Existing Login.gov or ID.me account holders do NOT need to create a new account or take any action. 

my Social Security accounts are free, secure, and provide personalized tools for everyone, whether receiving benefits or not. People can use their account to request a replacement Social Security card, check the status of an application, estimate future benefits, or manage the benefits they already receive. For more information visit Create an Account | my Social Security | SSA. 

For more information about Login.gov, including their 24/7 customer phone and chat support, visit Help | Login.gov.

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Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Statement on FDA’s Approval of New Alzheimer’s Medication

“We are encouraged by the FDA’s approval of donanemab and are optimistic that it will make a positive difference in the lives of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and their family caregivers. As with any medication, patient access and affordability to all those in need is vitally important, and we hope the FDA’s actions will facilitate both.

“This is another positive sign of further progress, but we must keep moving forward until we reach the finish line—a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Federal policymakers must continue increasing investments in Alzheimer’s disease research and support services for caregivers to provide help and hope to the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s.”

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Medicare Rights Center Fact Sheet

The Medicare Rights Center's new fact sheet series is designed to help people understand important health care policy ideas during this election season. The series, called "What's at Stake," explores various policy ideas and their potential impacts on major health care programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  

Understanding how these reforms might affect coverage, care, and outcomes for older adults and people with disabilities is essential, as they may influence voting behavior, donations to causes, and interactions with elected officials. While some ideas may appear partisan, many enjoy broad support and are sensitive to shifting political dynamics.  

The main topics covered in the series include:  

• Medicare Reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act
• Medicare Private Contracting 
• Medicare Means Testing 
• Raising the Medicare Eligibility Age 
• Medicare Premium Support 
• Affordable Care Act Coverage Expansions and Consumer Protections
• Medicaid Financing 
• Medicaid Waivers 
• Medicaid Work Requirements

The following link takes you to the Medicare Rights Center Fact sheets: Medicare Rights Policy Series

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Defending Against Scammers Who Target Your Social Security Benefits

...this article is courtesy of the Social Security Administration

Scammers are always finding new ways to steal your money and personal information. The best way to defeat scammers is to know how to identify scams and to ignore suspicious calls and emails.

One common tactic scammers use is posing as federal agents or other law enforcement officials. They may claim your Social Security number (SSN) is linked to a crime. They may even threaten to arrest you if you do not follow their instructions. Here are three things you should do:

1. Hang up right away or do not reply to the email.
2. Never give personal information or payment of any kind.
3. Report the scam at oig.ssa.gov to immediately notify the law enforcement team in the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General.

You should continue to remain vigilant if you receive a phone call from someone who claims there's a problem with your SSN or your benefits. If you owe money to the Social Security Administration, they will mail you a letter explaining your rights, payment options, and information about appealing. When trying to identify if a call or email is a scam, remember that the Social Security Administration will never: 

• Threaten you with benefit suspension, arrest, or other legal action.
• Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment.
• Require a payment by retail gift card, cash, wire transfer, internet currency, or prepaid debit card.
• Demand secrecy from you in handling a Social Security-related problem.
• Send official letters or reports containing personally identifiable information via email.

For more information on scams, visit www.ssa.gov/scam. And please share this information with anyone who may need it.

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Protest Against Identity Theft

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information to impersonate you or steal from you. It is important that you stay safe online. Please review these privacy and identity protection resources from the Social Security Administration:

1. A great online resource is www.ssa.gov/myaccount. You can visit this page to open a secure my Social Security account, keep track of your earnings record, and identify any suspicious activity.

2. Social Security Administration's (SSA) blog post, Protect Yourself from Identity Thieves, helps you understand how to spot, prevent, and report identity theft. You can check out this blog at blog.ssa.gov/protect-yourself-from-identity-thieves. 

3. In the blog post, Protect Your Online Identity with Strong Passwords, SSA encourages better password habits to keep online data and accounts safe and secure. You can check out the following blog for tips to help make sure passwords are strong at blog.ssa.gov/protect-your-online-identity-with-strong-passwords.

4. The blog post, Protecting Yourself from QR Code Fraud, provides details to help safeguard you from using Quick Response (QR) codes that may compromise your personal information. You can read this blog at blog.ssa.gov/protecting-yourself-from-qr-code-fraud.

5. Fraudsters use Social Security scams to mislead victims into making cash, gift card, or wire transfer payments to fix alleged Social Security number problems. Learn how to spot scams, check out our blog post Social Security's Top 5 Scam Awareness Articles at blog.ssa.gov/social-securitys-top-5-scam-awareness-articles.

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Washington Ranks 7^th in 2024 America’s Health Rankings Senior Report

• Between 2017-2019 and 2020-2022, senior drug deaths increased by 60%, from 8.6 to 13.8 deaths per 100,000 adults aged 65 and older between 2017-2019 and 2020-2022).
• Held the second-lowest rate of physical inactivity at 22.9%, compared to a national average of 30.9%.
• High-speed internet access increased by 12% in households with one or more adults aged 65 and older between 2016 and 2022.

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PSE to Resume Shutting Off Power for Residents Behind on Payments, Including Households with Vulnerable Seniors

Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Washington’s largest utility, announced a new plan for disconnecting customers who are behind on their utility bills. This plan will increase the number of customer disconnections for non-payment to levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Tens of thousands of vulnerable and low-income households, previously protected from utility disconnections during and after the pandemic, are now at risk of losing access to power and heat.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved the request, allowing PSE to resume sending disconnection notices to customers who have high past-due balances of 90 days or more and gradually moving to customers owing as little as $250.

Washington State Community Action Partnership (WSCAP), Front and Centered, NW Energy Coalition, and the Sierra Club advised the Commission to keep disconnection protection in place for customers enrolled in bill discount or bill assistance programs, customers in highly impacted or overburdened communities, and customers who declare a situation where disconnection would put their health or housing at risk. Such customers include homebound and medically fragile seniors and families with small children.

"Research highlights the extreme consequences disconnections have on vulnerable and low-income customers, including not being able to afford other basic necessities like food and medicine or even being evicted from rental properties,” said Yochi Zakai, an attorney representing WSCAP. The Commission granted PSE’s request to break its disconnection protection agreement despite being presented with this research.

“Instead of resorting to punishing customers struggling to afford their bills, we need utilities to implement models that increase communications with residential customers behind on payments to help them take advantage of available financial assistance programs or get them into payment and budget plans," said Shaylee Stokes, director of The Energy Project, a program of WSCAP. 

EARLIER SENIOR NEWS BRIEFS:

• Assisted Living Workers at WA Facility Call for Higher Wages. Workers for an assisted living facility are calling for higher wages in their union contract negotiations. Aegis Living, a Seattle-based company, has been in negotiations with Service Employees International Union - Local 775 - since March 2023. Workers say higher pay would help with retention. SEIU 775 says Aegis Living has increased fees for residents, but that money has not made its way to workers. Chetty said some of his colleagues are leaving for minimum wage jobs because the pay is similar, and the work is less stressful. --Washington News Service

•  911-211-988 Under One Roof: A first-of-its-kind service that brings social services and mental health together to support 911 is now operational through Valley Communications Center and Crisis Connections to serve South King County. --read full story at the following link:  http://dev.northwestprimetime.www.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/2024/may/20/south-king-county-now-offers-911-988-211-under-one-roof/

• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: From June 1 through October 31, the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides benefits to lower-income older adults to purchase locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs. --read full story at the following link:     https://northwestprimetime.com/news/2024/may/15/senior-farmers-market-nutrition-program/

• AARP Seeks Nominees for Washington State Exceptional Volunteer Award: The award honors people ages 50+ who are sharing their time, talent, experience and skills to enrich the lives of community members. --read full story at the following link: AARP Seeks Nominees for Exceptional Volunteer Award