There are several important Internet sites which you can use to obtain information about your own Social Security benefits, get answers to your questions and to research various areas of Social Security law that may not be readily available to most people seeking disability insurance or supplemental security income benefits. We have identified some of the best ones below.
Here is probably the most useful site on our Useful Internet Site page which is the web site for applying for Social Security Disability Benefits. For our clients who are home-bound, who cannot drive a car or who don't have transportation to visit a Social Security District Office or who want to try to represent themselves and file on their own without our assistance (which we do not recommend), this is the best way to initiate a claim without having to schedule a personal appointment with a Social Security representative. If you have not yet filed for benefits and you would like to try to get benefits on your own without our assistance, this is a fast and accurate way to do it - but do it right now! If you get denied, give us a call to help with your appeal.
One of the most valuable exercises you can perform before you reach retirement age, or before you file a disability claim with the Social Security Administration, is to request information about your past lifetime income and your future retirement calculations. You may now do this by utilizing the Internet. Specifically, you may obtain a copy of your "PEBES" which contains a breakdown of your annual income during your work life as well as a great deal of other financial information concerning benefits that you are entitled to as a result of your employment history. Everyone should request one of these.
This web site provides a wealth of information on disability as well as retirement benefits, and attempts to answer many common questions which Social Security personnel are frequently called upon to answer. It also addresses a lot of technical information which comes up from time to time. It is an invaluable resource for getting information which is not readily available anywhere else.
This handbook has been widely regarded as the Bible of Social Security law. While it has in past years been almost impossible to order by mail, it has now been made available on the Internet for free. It contains a lot of practical, helpful information.
The American Association of Retired Persons, better known by its acronym, AARP, has a web site that can bring you up-to-date on the latest developments in Washington on the major issues of the day concerning Social Security. The web site also contains information about membership, lobbying activities and identifies various ways in which you can help to preserve your own benefits as well as contribute time and resources to making the system safe for all of us. This is where your efforts can impact political decisions.
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