50+ Lifestyles

YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY Davenport, Iowa Office

By Linda Clayton-Powell
Social Security District Manager
Davenport, Iowa

EASILY GET REPLACEMENT SOCIAL SECURITY TAX FORMS ONLINE

Tax time is fast approaching. Preparing your documents can seem overwhelming. Some forms and paperwork might be difficult to track down. Social Security has made it easy to track down your annual Benefit Statement.

An SSA-1099, or your annual Benefit Statement, is a tax form Social Security mails each year in January to people who receive Social Security benefits. It shows the total amount of benefits received from Social Security in the previous year so people know how much Social Security income to report to the IRS on their tax return. You should receive your SSA-1099 by January 31, 2017.

For noncitizens who live outside of the United States and received or repaid Social Security benefits last year, we’ll send form SSA-1042S instead. The forms SSA-1099 and SSA-1042S are not available for people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

If you currently live in the United States and need a replacement form SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S, we have a way for you to get an instant replacement quickly and easily. Go online and request an instant replacement form with a my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. The online replacement form is available beginning February 1, 2017. Every working person in the U.S. should create a my Social Security account. The secure and personalized features of my Social Security are invaluable in securing a comfortable retirement — for today and tomorrow.

SOCIAL SECURITY CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Throughout the month of February, we honor African Americans by celebrating Black History Month. Created in 1926, this event coincides with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and Frederick Douglass on February 14. African American communities have celebrated these birthdays together for over a century.

Honoring our shared history and reflecting on the past is one way we can remember that in America, we believe in freedom and democracy for all. Another shared belief is that we all deserve a comfortable retirement, free of economic hardship. This is part of securing today and tomorrow.

Social Security has the tools to help you plan for your retirement and to apply for benefits online. We also provide disability benefits to individuals with medical conditions that prevent them from working. If the disabled individual has dependent family members, they can also receive payments.

If you or anyone you know is disabled, they may qualify for disability benefits. Studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 1-in-4 chance of becoming disabled before reaching full retirement age. You can see if you meet our strict definition of disabled and apply for disability benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityssi/apply.html.

Widows, widowers, and their dependent children may be eligible for Social Security survivors benefits. Social Security helps by providing income for the families of workers who die. In fact, 98 of every 100 children could get benefits if a working parent dies. And Social Security pays more benefits to children than any other federal program. You can learn more about Social Security survivors benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/survivors.

Honoring each other begins with fair and equal treatment. Social Security guarantees that, if you pay into the system, you will have the same benefits as everyone else according to your earnings record. This Black History Month, we want to make sure our diverse nation is covered and that no one is left out of the benefits they deserve. We are with you through life’s journey. Get to know your Social Security. Visit us at https://www.ssa.gov/people/africanamericans/.