Leo Rossler: Your Social Security

People from across the nation will spend this Thanksgiving Day enjoying good food and quality time with their families. During this year's holiday we hope you will consider assisting a loved one by visiting www.socialsecu-rity.gov.

The Social Security Administration has a cornucopia of services, many of which are online. You can visit us at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices from the privacy of your home or office. Using the agency's Web site is convenient, easy and secure.

Here are a few of the things you can help your loved ones do online.

Apply for benefits. You can help them apply for Social Security retirement, spouse's or disability benefits. After they have applied, they can check back online for the status of the application as well.

See if they qualify for Social Security. You can use our online Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool to see which kind of benefits they might be eligible for. Just answer a series of questions and find out whether they're eligible for retirement, disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits. You can even find out whether they are eligible for Medicare. All of this can be done by completing a simple questionnaire, and it only takes five to 10 minutes.

Address or phone change: If you currently receive Social Security benefits, it's important that you keep us updated about changes to your mailing address and phone number in case we need to contact you - even if you have direct deposit. The most convenient way to update your information is by using our online services. You can change your address, phone number, even your direct deposit information.

Apply for extra help with your Medicare prescription drug costs. Social Security has an easy-to-use online application that anyone - family members, friends and caregivers - can complete. If a loved one has limited income and resources, they may qualify for extra help paying the premiums, deductibles and co-payments. This extra help - available through Social Security - can pay part of the monthly premiums, annual deductibles and prescription co-payments and could be worth more than $3,600 per year.

These are just a few of the many services now available online from Social Security. So once the dishes are put away, pass the laptop and visit Social Security at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices.

If you have questions, our number is 1-800-772-1213. The Tyler office is located at 5509 S. Donnybrook Ave.

Leo Rossler
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