Social Security: Agency has a new Web site

By Jim Glenn / Columnist

There is a new place to go — www.socialsecurity.gov — to find a wealth of information about the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) programs and services.

SSA’s new Internet address takes you to a redesigned Web site, Social Security Online, with a fresh, user-friendly look and feel. The Web site is easier to navigate, more attractive and more accessible to all visitors, including people with visual or other physical disabilities.

We’ve redesigned our Web site so it is better organized and easier for the public to conduct Social Security business online. And our new address is more easily associated with our agency.

One of the most popular Internet services offered by SSA is the online benefits application, where people can apply for retirement, spouse’s and disability benefits via the Internet. This service – found at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyforbenefits – allows people to conduct business with SSA at a time convenient to them and from the comfort of their own home.

Socialsecurity.gov provides useful online services and valuable information for all types of people, whether it’s a young adult first entering the workforce, a new bride, a new parent, a person who has become disabled, a family member who has lost a loved one, or an older person making the transition from work to retirement.

People of all ages and life situations can find an abundance of information in SSA’s publications and Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found easily at SSA’s new, simplified homepage.

Young children and teens can have fun and learn about Social Security at www.socialsecurity.gov/kids.

Workers and people nearing retirement can get estimates of their future Social Security benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/planners by clicking on “calculators.”

A free, monthly electronic newsletter, eNews, is available at www.socialsecurity.gov/enews and can be received automatically with a simple online subscription. People receiving disability benefits, employers and service providers can visit The Work Site at www.socialsecurity.gov/work for information about support programs geared towards helping people with disabilities find employment.

Links at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices cover the gamut of additional online services offered by Social Security, from general services that anyone can use to specific services for beneficiaries and businesses.

Socialsecurity.gov replaces SSA’s former Internet address (www.ssa.gov), but people can still get to Social Security Online with either address. The old address will still work for those who have marked SSA’s Web site as a favorite on their computers.