Social Security Online: Making Life More Convenient

The Social Security Administration is making a much-anticipated leap into the 21st Century with an addition to their website that allows for online application for benefits.

The new Internet-based application is expected to make filing for benefits easier and much faster, taking just about 12 to 15 minutes to fill out the form, compared to the 45 minutes it took to complete the previous version. According to the Social Security Administration website, www.socialsecurity.gov, the online application eliminates the need for visiting a field office or making an appointment to fill out the application.

The revamped application focuses on easy-to-understand instruction to help make it clear exactly what information is being requested and then asks applicants questions that only apply to their particular situation, based on their responses to previous questions. In addition, the new form is much shorter.

The newest version of the application also allows for the majority of applicants to be able to complete the entire thing on the Internet. Prior to March 2008, all applicants were required to bring an original copy of their birth certificate or mail one to a Social Security field office. That requirement, for most applicants, has been eliminated.

To help promote their new online application process, the Social Security Administration has started commercials featuring actress Patty Duke, who recently turned 62. Duke promotes the online system with reprisals of the roles of Patty and Cathy Lane from the hit 1960s sitcom, “The Patty Duke Show.”

The Social Security Administration anticipates that approximately 1 million people will use the new form on the website this year. Over the next two decades, nearly 80 million Baby Boomers will become eligible for Social Security, making the need for such an online system to become paramount.

Use of the field offices and appointments with the Social Security Administration are still available.

It is expected that more than 51 million Americans will receive about $650 billion in Social Security benefits in 2009. According to 2008 statistics, the average monthly payment for retirees was $1,089.