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Groton Daily Independent
Tuesday, July 25, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 025 ~ 8 of 38
Question:
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION Tyler Bowling
Public Affairs Specialist
2200 N Maple Ave Suite 301 Rapid City, SD 57701 Email: tyler.bowling@ssa.gov
Website: www.socialsecurity.gov
I’m planning to retire next year. I served in the Navy back in the 1960s and need to make sure I get credit for my military service. What do I need to do?
Answer:
You don’t need to do anything to apply for the special credit for your military service — it is added au- tomatically. For service between 1957 and 1967, we will add the extra credits to your record at the time you apply for Social Security bene ts. For service between 1968 and 2001, those extra military service credits have already been added to your record. So you can rest assured that we have you covered. Read our online publication, Military Service and Social Security, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10017.html. And when the time comes to apply for retirement, you can do it conveniently and easily at www.socialsecurity. gov/retireonline.
Question:
Is it true that ten thousand people are retiring each day? What is the best way for me to apply and avoid long lines in my Social Security of ce?
Answer:
Yes. The best way is to use our online retirement application at www.socialsecurity.gov. You can com- plete it in as little as 15 minutes. It’s so easy. You can apply from the comfort of your home or of ce at a time most convenient for you. Once you’ve electronically submitted your application, you’re done. In most cases, there’s no need to submit any documents. There’s also no need to drive to a local Social Security of ce or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative.
Question:
What is the earliest age that I can receive Social Security disability bene ts?
Answer:
There is no minimum age as long as you meet the Social Security de nition of disabled and you have suf cient work to qualify for bene ts. To qualify for disability bene ts, you must have worked under Social Security long enough under to earn the required number of work credits and some of the work must be recent. You can earn up to a maximum of four work credits each year. The number of work credits you need for disability bene ts depends on the age you become disabled. For example, if you are under age 24, you may qualify with as little as six credits of coverage. But people disabled at age 31 or older generally need between 20 and 40 credits to qualify, and some of the work must have been recent. For example, you may need to have worked ve out of the past 10 years. Learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability.