The new look is more welcoming and user-friendly. It follows the standard for design principles in the industry by reducing "clutter," improving navigation, making better use of graphics, reducing the need to scroll down and prioritizing items on the page.
The new page focuses on the primary reasons people contact Social Security. We put those items front and center.
The three main topics that take up the prime real estate are as follows: filing for retirement benefits, applying for disability benefits and requesting a Social Security card.
Meanwhile, major program topics run along the top of the page - Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicare. The left side of the homepage answers "What you can do online." And that's where you're also linked to "Your Social Security Earnings Statement," forms and publications and more.
On the right side of the page, you'll be able to search the site, get answers to frequently asked questions and find information for specific groups or organizations on the Web site.
Social Security news rounds out the page.
For the first time, people also can watch a brief video greeting on the site delivered by one of our agency employees.
While the look of our homepage has changed, the Web addresses have not. Favorite sites that you and other frequent visitors have bookmarked will not change.
You can save yourself a trip to an office by using the Web site.
There you can apply for retirement or disability benefits. You also can find out what documents you need to bring into our offices if you need a replacement card.
Check out our new homepage and see how easy it is to use at www.socialsecurity.gov.
Questions and Answers
Q.: I know that some years ago the age of retirement began to increase. How do I find out exactly when I will be of "fullretirement" age?
A.: Full-retirement age gradually increases based on the year of your birth. Those born in 1937 and before reached fullretirement age at 65 years old.
Those born in 1938 or later will see a gradual increase in the full- retirement age, with those born between 1943-1954 reaching full- retirement age at age 66 and those born in 1960 or later becoming eligible for fullretirement benefits at age 67.
No matter what your fullretirement age is, you may start receiving reduced benefits as early as age 62 or a larger benefit by delaying retirement as late as age 70.
For more information, visit our www.socialsecurity.gov, or call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
Q.: If I start my retirement benefits at age 63, is the amount I would get the same as what I would get at age 62?
A.: No. If you retire at any time between age 62 and your full- retirement age, your benefits are reduced for each month before your fullretirement age. Likewise, if you retire after your full- retirement age, your benefit goes up incrementally for each month you delay retirement until you reach age 70.
For more information about Social Security, visit www.socialsecurity.gov or call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
Anthony Renzoni is district manager of the Bridgeport office of the Social Security Administration. His column appears every Monday.
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