Social Security Column<\/b><\/p>\n
By Erin Thompson
\nSocial Security Public Affairs Specialist in Toledo, OH
\nGuest Column<\/p>\n
Faster Processing of Disability Claims for People with Alzheimer\u2019s Disease<\/strong><\/p>\n Today, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u00a0 Since the onset of Alzheimer\u2019s can occur in people before they retire, it may strike during an individual\u2019s working years;\u00a0 preventing gainful employment as the disease progresses.<\/p>\n As a result, people must come to grips with a devastating diagnosis while losing their salary and benefits.\u00a0 People with Alzheimer\u2019s disease and their caregivers must figure out how they\u2019ll pay for care. \u00a0Our benefits and services are vital to people with early-onset Alzheimer\u2019s who are unable to work and have no other source of income.<\/p>\n For over a decade, Social Security has included Alzheimer\u2019s disease in our Compassionate Allowances program.\u00a0 The Compassionate Allowances program identifies debilitating diseases and medical conditions so severe they obviously meet our disability standards.\u00a0 Compassionate Allowances allow for faster processing of disability claims for individuals with Alzheimer\u2019s disease, mixed-dementia, and Primary Progressive Aphasia.<\/p>\n You can read more about our Compassionate Allowances program at www.ssa.gov\/compassionateallowances<\/a>. To learn more about how Social Security disability insurance works, visit\u00a0our disability page at www.ssa.gov\/disability<\/a>.\u00a0 Please share these resources with friends and family.<\/p>\n Financial Literacy Month, A Perfect Time to Plan for your Future<\/b><\/p>\n April is Financial Literacy Month, a time focused on educating people about the importance of planning for a secure financial future. \u00a0Social Security is a vital part of any financial plan.\u00a0 We have online tools to help you understand your potential Social Security benefits and how they fit into your financial future.<\/p>\n You should periodically review your Social Security Statement<\/em> with your personal my <\/em> Social Security account at www.ssa.gov\/myaccount<\/a>.\u00a0 Your Statement <\/em>is an easy-to-read summary of the estimated benefits you and your family could receive, including potential retirement, disability, and survivors benefits.<\/p>\n Additionally, our Plan for Retirement tool in your my <\/em> Social Security account allows you to run various benefit estimate scenarios.\u00a0 You can compare different future earnings and retirement benefit start dates for how they could affect your benefit amount.<\/p>\n Start improving your financial literacy today by logging in to your my <\/em>Social Security account.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have an account, create one at www.ssa.gov\/myaccount<\/a>.<\/p>\n Social Security\u2019s Many Online Services\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s probably been a time in your life when you\u2019ve wondered, \u201cCan I do this online instead of visiting a Social Security office?\u201d\u00a0 The answer is more than likely yes, and you can find more information about our online services at www.ssa.gov\/onlineservices<\/a>.\u00a0 Online, you can apply for retirement and disability benefits, appeal a decision, and do much more.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve organized our Online Services webpage into four popular categories for easy navigation:<\/p>\n You can also access personalized information with your my<\/em> Social Security<\/em> account.\u00a0 This is a useful resource even if you are not receiving benefits.\u00a0 You can:<\/p>\n Please let your family and friends know they can do much of their business with us online at www.ssa.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n New Fact Sheets Added to Your Online Statement<\/b><\/p>\n Your Social Security Statement<\/em> tells you how much you or your family can expect to receive in disability, survivors, and retirement benefits.\u00a0 It also provides a record of your earnings history and other valuable information. \u00a0And now it\u2019s even better!<\/p>\n We\u2019ve added new fact sheets to accompany the online Statement<\/em>. The fact sheets are designed to provide clear and useful information, based on your age group and earnings. \u00a0They can help you better understand Social Security programs and benefits.<\/p>\n The new Statement<\/em> fact sheets cover the following topics:<\/p>\n The best way to get access to your Statement<\/em> and the new fact sheets is by using your personal my<\/em> Social Security account.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have a personal my<\/em> Social Security account, be sure to create one at www.ssa.gov\/myaccount<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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If you are receiving benefits, you can:<\/h3>\n
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