Question:
I lost my Social Security card, should I get a new one?
Answer:
Knowing your Social Security number is what is important. The only time you may need the actual card is when you start a new job. However, if you need to replace your Social Security card, you can do so free of charge. Remember, you are limited to three replacement cards in a year and 10 during your lifetime. Learn more about your Social Security card and number at: www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. Learn more about Social Security by visiting our website at www.socialsecurity.gov or call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
Question:
How can I see an estimate of my Social Security retirement benefit at several different ages?
Answer:
To see your estimated retirement benefit at age 62, full retirement age, and age 70, we suggest you refer to your most recent Social Security Statement, which we mail to you every year about two to three months before your birthday. In addition, use our online Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator to get a retirement benefit estimate based on current law and real time access to your earnings record. The Retirement Estimator lets you create additional "what if" retirement scenarios, so that’s the perfect place to plug in alternate retirement ages as you wish to do. You can test even more alternatives such as your “stop work” dates or expected future earnings to create and compare different retirement options that may be in your future. Learn more about Social Security by visiting our website at www.socialsecurity.gov or call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
Question:
All my life I have planned on retiring at age 62, but I heard the retirement age is rising to 67. Does this mean five more years of work for me?
Answer:
Not unless you want to continue working. While it is true that the full retirement age is gradually rising to 67, early retirement remains at age 62. So if you go ahead with your plans to retire early, your benefits will be reduced. You also should know that if you choose to keep working even beyond your full retirement age, you can increase your future Social Security benefits. With delayed retirement credits, your benefit will increase automatically by a certain percentage from the time you reach your full retirement age until you start receiving your benefits or until you reach age 70. For example, if you were born in 1943 or later, we will add 8 percent per year to your benefit for each year that you delay signing up for Social Security between your full retirement age of 66 and age 70. That's a 32% increase! Check out our online Retirement Estimator, which you can use to get quick and accurate estimates of your retirement benefits based on different scenarios, at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator. Or read the When to Start Receiving Benefits fact sheet at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10147.html.
Q&A about SSA
By Linda Zamfino
Social Security Administration Public Affairs Specialist in Oakland, CA
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Q&A about SSA
Medicare Part B Open Season is Here
If you are eligible for Medicare Part B medical insurance, but didn’t sign up when you first became eligible for Medicare, you will have another opportunity to apply. Open season for Medicare Part B runs from January 1 until March 31, 2009. Act early — if you miss the deadline, you will have to wait until 2010 to apply.
Medicare Part B covers some medical expenses not covered by Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), such as doctors’ fees, outpatient hospital visits, and other medical services and supplies.
When you first become eligible for hospital insurance (Part A), you have an initial enrollment period of seven-months in which to sign up for medical insurance (Part B)—three months before, the month of, and three months after reaching age 65. After that, you have to pay a higher premium for Part B unless the reason you declined Part B was because you were covered through an employer's group health plan or a group health plan based on a spouse's employment. In that case, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period which allows you to sign up for Part B at any time, as long as you are currently covered under an employer’s group health plan, either through your current employer or your spouse’s employer -- a retiree plan does not qualify.
You are given another opportunity to enroll in Part B during the general enrollment period, from January 1 to March 31 of each year. But each 12-month period that you are eligible for Medicare Part B and do not sign up, the amount of your monthly premium increases by 10 percent. (This monthly premium increase does not apply if you qualify and enroll during the Special Enrollment Period.)
Medicare is made up of four parts:
- Hospital insurance (Part A) that helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility (following a hospital stay), some home health care and hospice care;
- Medical insurance (Part B) that helps pay for doctors’ services and many other medical services and supplies that are not covered by hospital insurance;
- Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are available in many areas. People with Medicare Parts A and B can choose to receive all of their health care services through one of these provider organizations under Part C; and
- Prescription drug coverage (Part D) that helps pay for prescription medications.
In addition, some people with limited income and resources may qualify for extra help to pay for monthly premiums, annual deductibles and co-pays related to their Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D). You can learn more about the extra help at: www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp.
You can learn more about Medicare by reading our electronic booklet, Medicare at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10043.html. You can also call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to ask for a copy. Or visit the Medicare website at www.medicare.gov. You can also call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).
Just remember, the Medicare Part B open season runs from January 1 to March 31, 2009.
By Linda Zamfino
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Oakland, CA
Social Security Updates For Us All
By Linda Zamfino
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Oakland, CA
Social Security has good tidings to share with over 50 million Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries: they will receive a 5.8 percent increase in benefit payments beginning with the January payments!
This 5.8 percent increase is the largest since 1982.
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits increase automatically each year based on the rise in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), from the third quarter of the prior year to the corresponding period of the current year.
Along with the annual COLA comes other changes, including an increase in the amount of wages subject to Social Security tax. In 2008, the maximum taxable amount was $102,000. Beginning in 2009, the maximum taxable amount will be $106,800. This change will affect about 11 million of the 164 million workers who pay Social Security tax. The tax rate remains the same: 6.2 for employers and employees, and 12.4 for the self employed.
The average retired worker will receive $1,153 per month in Social Security benefits in 2009, up from $1,090 in 2008.
People who have Medicare coverage will want to visit Medicare's website at www.medicare.gov for changes coming in 2009.
To learn more about Social Security changes coming in 2009, visit our online fact sheet at www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice /factsheet/colafacts2009.htm
As always, you can find a wealth of information about Social Security at our website, www.socialsecurity.gov
Contra Costa Midrasha Benefit Event For Teen Program
Featuring guest speaker KGO radio host, John Rothmann
Sunday, February 22, 2009 - 2:00 - 5:30pm
Walnut Creek, CA - January 2, 2009 - Contra Costa Midrasha announces a benefit for its program for Jewish teens. The February 22nd event (from 2-5:30pm) aims to engage the community in learning with featured guest speaker, John Rothmann, and to share in its organizational successes.
The event takes place at its partner congregation, Congregation B'nai Tikvah in Walnut Creek at 25 Hillcroft Way. The three and a half hour event, from 2:00 - 5:30pm, features a talk with John Rothmann, speeches from its students and a gourmet appetizer and dessert reception.
John Rothmann is best known in the San Francisco Bay Area as a talk show host on KGO radio. For the event on February 22, Mr. Rothmann will examine the impact of the incoming Obama administration on U.S.-Israel relations and education. A frequent lecturer on American politics and the Presidency, John has spoken at over 150 campuses throughout the United States, Canada, and Israel. He is a political and foreign policy consultant specializing in the United States, Middle East and the former Soviet Union. Mr. Rothmann received his B.A. and M.A. from Whittier College, and studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Tickets for the February 22, 2009 event are $36 for seniors and students, and $45 for adults. Tickets are available online and by phone. For information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.ccmidrasha.org (click on the "buy tickets" link) or by phone at 925/944-4701.
Contra Costa Midrasha (pronounced "mid-ra-sha") provides a space for Jewish teens, 8th through 12th grade, to explore their growing Jewish identity through classes, art, special events, social interaction, volunteer opportunities and mentoring. Meeting on most Wednesday nights (7:15 - 9:15pm) during the school year, Contra Costa Midrasha fosters Jewish community for its teens in a non-denominational, pluralistic environment. The teens come from towns all over Contra Costa County including Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Alamo, Orinda, Moraga, Danville, San Ramon, Benicia, Concord, and more. For more information, visit us online at www.ccmidrasha.org or contact our office at 925/944-4701.
# # #
Contra Costa Midrasha Benefit
Sunday, February 22, 2009
FACT SHEET
WHO: Contra Costa Midrasha
Guest speaker, KGO radio host, John Rothmann
WHAT: Fundraising event in honor of Contra Costa Midrasha
WHEN: Sunday, February 22, 2009
2:00pm - 5:30pm
WHERE: Congregation B'nai Tikvah
25 Hillcroft Way
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
TICKET COST: $36 (students and seniors) and $45 (adults)
BUY TICKETS: Online at www.ccmidrasha.org or by phone at 925/944-4701
CONTACT: Devra Aarons, Contra Costa Midrasha Director
Office - 925/944-4701
E-mail - office@ccmidrasha.org
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Alamo Tree Lighting
Children Getting into the Spirit of Christmas
Cold weather didn't dampen the festive spirit at Alamo's tree lighting. The annual tree lighting festivities Sunday evening was attended by well over 200 people, including little wide-eyed youngsters anxious to tell Santa their Christmas wishes. One little girl was overheard to tell Santa her desires for computer equipment.
After the officials thanked dozens and dozens of volunteer workers and merchants that supplied all the free food and refreshments, high school and grade school choral groups sparked a lot of smiles and support from the crowd. Individual lady singers also presented Christmas carols to an appreciative audience.
Several local and county police officers along with three fire units managed traffic control for the large amount of pedestrian traffic crossing Danville Boulevard.
All during the festivities, people manning the twenty some tables were busy handing out food and drink, along with two tables dedicated to entertaining youngsters with craft activities.
This was a fun time for all.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
PG&E Offers Safe and Better Way to Light up Your Holidays
SAN FRANCISCO – Thanksgiving Day weekend signaled the time when people began to decorate homes and trees for the holidays. Holiday lights bring joy to the season, but they can also bring hazards and added costs to your energy bill. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) encourages customers to stay safe and save energy this holiday season by offering the following tips.
Holiday Lighting Safety and Energy Efficiency Tips
- Look up and live! Before stringing outdoor lights, check for overhead power lines. Never place yourself or any object in a position where you or it may come in contact with a power line—the result can be fatal. Look up before raising ladders or other objects. Keep at least 10 feet away from overhead lines.
- Before stringing lights on outdoor trees, make sure tree limbs haven't grown into or near power lines. Branches, entire trees and even the ground adjacent to a tree can become energized when trees contact power lines.
- Make sure lights used to decorate the outside of the house are approved for outdoor use. Never use indoor lights outdoors.
- Follow the manufacturer's limits for the number of light strings that can safely be connected together.
- Check all light strands for cracked or broken plugs, frayed insulation, or bare wires. Worn cords can cause fires. Discard damaged sets of lights.
- Route cords inside your home so they won't trip anyone. Don't place them under rugs, furniture, or other appliances. If covered, cords can overheat or become frayed, increasing the risk of fire.
- Always turn off decorative lights—indoors and outdoors—when leaving the house and before going to bed.
- Do not place your tree near a heat source such as a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, making it more susceptible to fires caused by heat, flame or sparks.
- Purchase energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) holiday lights. LED lights can reduce energy consumption as much as 90% over traditional holiday lights and can burn brightly for over 100,000 hours.
- In addition to being shatterproof and shock resistant, LED lights produce almost no heat, making them safe to touch and greatly reducing the risk of fire.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in northern and central California. For more information, please visit www.pge.com.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Holiday Hugs Care Package Donation Drive Pleasanton
Nan Fuchs
Air Force Mom
Care Package Co-Chairmom
San Francisco East Bay Blue Star Moms
925-648-1549
