Steve has been on Social Security for about six months now. A few weeks ago we got a notice saying he wouldn't get his January payment (which comes in February) because his early retirement payment puts him at more income than that allowed (some $15K). Every dollar you earn past $15K, the government reduces your social security by fifty cents. The same thing had happened when he first started with social security, but it seemed odd to me that a whole paycheck was exactly what they needed to make things right. I decided I should check to make sure what was happening. I also wanted to see his earning history. They used to always mail it to you, but now they don't.
I started off by calling the number for Social Security that was given on the letter informing us that no money was coming in February. When I reach them, they force me into listening to a several minute spiel about Obama Care. Once I get past that, the message is "Please press 1". So I did - just before I heard the rest of the message, "if you want to ask about income tax." There was no backing out of pressing 1. Honestly, who says, "Please press 1 and then pauses." I call again. I listen to the several minute spiel about Obama Care and DO NOT press 1. They tell me the expected wait is 45 minutes. I leave my number and they will call me back. I had an hour before my next meeting, but I didn't hear from them before my meeting. I miss their call back. The next time I call, the expected wait is an hour and a half. I call a couple of hours later, but by then they aren't even telling you an expected wait time (nor do they offer to call me back).
The next day I try again. Finally, I get through. I ask my first question, but they say they can't talk to me as I'm not Steve. I tell them I have durable power of attorney. They don't care. They don't accept that. They say I can go to the regional office (in Ogden) with Steve. Otherwise, I have to have Steve tell them to talk to me. I tell them I live an hour away, and it is snowing. They are not impressed. I ask them my first question without talking about Steve.
It turns out they only take full paychecks. We were lucky they only took one, and not two. However, when we file income tax at the end of the year, we'll get back any extra money they have taken. SOOOOO, why didn't they say that in the letter? That would have been so much easier than just saying, "You won't be getting any money this month."
I wait until the next day, so Steve can tell them they can talk to me. Finally, I am able to ask my question. I questioned whether they had Steve's earning correct, as what he is getting seems a bit low. Did them have him retiring at 64? They said they did. I asked to see the earnings record. I mention that they used to always send us the information each year, but now they don't. She said they could send it to me, but it would cost. First they would mail me the form. Then, I would send the money. Then they would me the information. I said, "But we used to get it for free every year. Now that he's retired, it seems like it should be sent at least once." Only then did she tell me that he could create a My SSA account and get the information off the web.
So, I create an account for him and sure enough, all the information is there. I could answer my question. The seven years we were in Colorado, we did not pay into social security. Thus, instead of having 35 years of income (as is used by Social Security), he only had 25. That explains a lower benefit.
So then, I decided I should check my earnings record. I tried to create an account for me, but nothing I did worked. I wasn't sure whether I was "Vicki L Hurst". "Vicki H Allan", or "Vicki L Allan". When I was first married, I wasn't sure what to use as a middle initial. I tried all of them, but none of them worked, and the system locked me out.
I called Social Security again. Same deal. After several tries, I got through. When I told them I was locked out. They unlocked it and said, I should just type it in as is on my social security card. I said I didn't have it with me. I told her my dilemma, of which name to use, but instead of helping, she just said, "Put in your middle initial." She wouldn't tell me which one. It was like a guessing game. Finally she said I had two last names. I tried that, but it still didn't work. She said I would have to call the Ogden office, as they couldn't help me create an account.
I called the Ogden office, but there was an hour and a half wait. I called again after work, but then the wait was so long, the automated system just told me to try again the next day.
The next day, I called the Ogden office. I had to give all the identifying information - date/place of birth, mothers maiden name, etc. I got a very nice lady who talked me through it, but the system wouldn't allow me to log on, even after following her instructions. She said I would need to come in. I told her about the snow and living an hour away. She told me I could go into the Department of Workforce services in Logan and connect via a video link. It was only available on Thursday. It was Thursday! Maybe my luck was changing. She told me where it was and what to bring. Yeah! Someone who actually wanted to help.
I took off and got to the Department of Workforce services about five minutes after the video link was available, 10 a.m.. There were three names ahead of mine. Piece of cake, right. I sat down with lots of other people who were waiting for something (taxes, unemployment, etc). Not everyone needed to talk to Ogden. They were the lucky ones. None of us had brought anything to do. Then, others started coming in to talk to Ogden. They were told the wait would be 45 minutes. More people came in. They were told the wait would be an hour and a half wait AND they Ogden people went for lunch at 11:30, so if they didn't get in before then, there would be another half hour added to their wait time.
A got up and started wandering around. I had four or five workers ask if they could help me, but since I needed to talk to Ogden they couldn't. They assured me it usually wasn't like this. It must be the snow. At 11:25 they called me back.
The lady fiddled around for a bit, left for several minutes, and returned with my "password". I said, "What is my user name?" (Remember, I had tried this a half dozen times already, so I knew what I needed.) She said, just use your name. I repeated back my name and said, "With spaces?" She said, "Yes, or you can use your social security number." I said, "What do I do if it doesn't work?" She said, "Just call us back. Here is our number." I said, "I won't have to come back in to use the video link?" She assured me I wouldn't. I had zero confidence this was going to work.
I returned home. It didn't work. Your name isn't a username. Your social security number isn't a username.
I called Ogden again. I got the same very nice lady I talked to earlier. She said, "Didn't they give you a sheet of instructions for what to do?" I told her they had only given me a password. Turns out there was a completely separate link I was supposed to be at and the number they gave me was NOT a password, but an access code. The nice lady stayed on the line while I entered everything and FINALLY created my log in. I never did figure out what was wrong with the information I had entered before.
Can a system be any more inefficient? What a waste of their time and mine!!! AARGGG!
Anyway, I downloaded my work history and even played around with how Social Security is computed. Every year, your salary is multiplied by a factor to give the "adjusted earnings". While I don't know exactly what that means, it turns out that in 1995 I had a better year (according to social security) than any year since. We are told we are losing buying power. That was pretty dramatic proof.
