On the Go? You Can Still Use Social Security Online When Traveling

Social Security is here for your clients to use when they travel, whether they are in the United States or are in another country. Our online services page at www.ssa.gov/onlineservices provides your clients a wide variety of self-service options they can use on the phone, tablet, or computer.

Through our online services, your clients can:

• Find out if they qualify for benefits.
• Apply for Social Security retirement, disability, and Medicare benefits.
• Get their Social Security Statement.
• Request a replacement Social Security card.
• Appeal a decision.

Do your clients receive Social Security benefits or Medicare? If so, they can create or log in to their personal my Social Security account to:

• Get their benefit verification letter.
• Check their information and benefit amount.
• Process a change of address and telephone number.
• Start or change their direct deposit.
• Request a replacement Medicare card.
• Get a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S for tax season.
• Report their wages if they work and receive disability benefits or SSI.

Encourage your clients to create a personal my Social Security account today at www.ssa.gov/myaccount to take advantage of these easy-to-use features. Also, remind them to share our online services page with family and friends who need this important information.

Social Security Honors Our Military Heroes

On Memorial Day, we honor military service members who have given their lives for our country. Families, friends, and communities pause to remember the many great sacrifices of our military and ensure their legacy lives on in the freedoms we all enjoy. We recognize these heroes who, in President Lincoln’s words, “gave the last full measure of devotion.”

The benefits we provide can help the families of deceased military service members, which may include your clients. For example, surviving spouses and their dependent children may be eligible for Social Security survivors benefits. Your clients can learn more about those benefits at www.ssa.gov/survivors.

We also offer support to our wounded warriors. Social Security benefits protect veterans when an injury prevents them from returning to active duty or performing other work. Wounded military service members can receive expedited processing of their Social Security disability claims. Do you have clients who are veterans with a 100% Permanent & Total compensation rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs? We will expedite their disability claim. Both the Department of Veteran Affairs and Social Security have disability programs. Your clients may qualify for disability benefits under one program but not the other, or they may qualify for both. Depending on your client’s situation, some of their family members, including dependent children or their spouse, may be eligible to receive Social Security benefits.

Want more information? Visit www.ssa.gov/people/veterans for answers to commonly asked questions or to find information about the application process.

Do you have clients thinking about retirement? Military service members can receive Social Security benefits in addition to their military retirement benefits. For details, visit our webpage, You Can Get Both Military Retirement and Social Security Benefits at www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/veterans.html.

Please share this information with your clients.

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. The month of May was selected by Congress to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States on May 7, 1843.

Social Security’s programs serve as financial protection for millions of Americans of every race and background. In honor of this month, we are shining a spotlight on our AAPI page at www.ssa.gov/people/aapi. Please share it with your clients today.

We recognize the cultural and language challenges that some members of the AAPI community face. We provide free interpreter services for AAPIs in their preferred languages. We also supply publications in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Your clients can find this information at https://www.ssa.gov/site/languages/en.

The Most Popular Baby Names of 2022 are Coming — Get Them Straight from the Source!

Our list of 2022’s most popular baby names is coming soon! We historically release the top list on the Friday before Mother’s Day – this year, that falls on May 12. Visit our Baby Names page at www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames on May 12 to see where your favorite names rank. Social Security is here for you from day one, which makes us the source for the most popular baby names and more!

While you’re on our website to check out the top baby names list, we encourage you and your clients to create a personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Free and secure, my Social Security is a personalized online account that people can use in their working years and later when they’re receiving Social Security benefits.

Save The Date – National Disability Forum

We will host the next virtual National Disability Forum (NDF) on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. The title is “Focusing on Aspects of Childhood Disability and Childhood SSI - Part 2.” The event will take place through Microsoft Teams from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET.

For more information about the NDF, we encourage you and your clients to visit our What’s New page at www.ssa.gov/thirdparty/groups/whatsnew.html. You and your clients can email questions to OEA.Net.Post@ssa.gov.

Send Your Clients to SSA.gov

Our online services make it easy for your clients to do business with us conveniently and securely. Please direct them to www.ssa.gov/onlineservices.

Your clients will benefit from opening their personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Your clients can:

• Access their Social Security Statement.
• Get personalized retirement benefit estimates.
• Check their benefit application status.
• Set up or change their direct deposit.
• Request a replacement Social Security card.

If your client cannot use our online services, please tell them to call our National 800 Number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or their local Social Security office for assistance at www.ssa.gov/locator. If we cannot help them by phone, we can determine if an in-person appointment or other option may be available.

Please share our flyer, How to Get Help from Social Security, with your clients.