SOCIAL SECURITY: OBTAINING BENEFIT INFORMATION

In 1995, the Social Security Administration began sending an annual Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement to each worker aged 60 and older. This statement, renamed the Social Security Statement, is now provided annually to all persons aged 25 or older who have employment covered under Social Security and are not currently entitled to monthly benefits. The statement enables an employee to verify his or her contributions to the Social Security and Medicare programs. It also contains an estimate of benefits that are available upon retirement, disability, or death.

The statement will help employees understand their total benefit package as well as enable any errors in earnings records to be corrected while information is readily available. As a general rule, requests for corrections must be made within 3 years, 3 months, and 15 days following the year in which wages were paid or self-employment income was earned. However, clerical or fraudulent errors can be corrected after that time.