In its official press release page, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announces through Commissioner Michael J. Astrue that the agency is now offering SSA beneficiaries an online version of Social Security Statement via their official website.The new online statement was said to provide qualified wage earners with the following benefits:
• Secured and convenient access to their social security earnings and benefit information.
• Estimates which members can use to plan for their future retirement.
• Estimates for disability and survivors benefits, hence making the statement a very significant tool.
• A convenient way to check whether their earnings are posted to their records on time.
• Opportunity to save or obtain a hard copy of their statement for financial planning discussion purposes with either a family or a financial planner.
Commissioner Astrue said that the agency’s new service offered is simple and user-friendly; therefore, social security members have nothing to worry about.
To get a personalized online statement, people must first provide complete personal information, which must match the information that the agency already has. When it comes to security, the agency uses Experian, an external authentication service provider, apparently for additional verification purposes.
Although identity check is an important part of this new service, the agency guarantees that it will not share any person’s social security number with Experian.
After the verification, members have to create a “My Social Security” account using a specific user name and password to access their online statement.
Nevertheless, although the agency is anticipating the success of its new service, SSA still assumes that some members may not be able to cope up with the new online version of social security statement. Therefore, the agency is still providing its members an option to request for a traditional paper social security statements being sent through snail mail or to visit any of the agency’s local offices.
In a recent press release following the launch of the agency’s new service, Commissioner Astrue was very pleased in announcing that the launch of the new online version of statement is currently gaining success.
Such development is indeed very good news for everybody. Aside from the 130,000 social security members who patronized the new service, a Los Angeles disability lawyer here is also glad in giving the agency two-thumbs up for the success of its newly launched service.
