Social Security /

Modernization Plan Working V '

By DEL BROOKS Social Security Manager in Wildwood The Annual Report to the Congress, which the Social Security Administration is required to make each year, notes that we have made significant progress

in our five-year systems modernization plan. The plan, which is designed to bring SSA's systems capability to a state of the art level and keep it there, is in its third year. For many people, the im-

provements cited in the , report may not appear im- ; portant. However, for those who have had occasion to apply for a Social Security I number or to apply for I Social Security benefits, the difference in service may be gratifying. IN ADDITION, since Social Security affects everybody directly or indirect ly , just a bout everybody will eventually feel the impact of the changes. It now takes an average of 11 days to get an original or replacement Social Security card as compared to four to six weeks when the systems modernization plan started in November 1982. Since most employers will not hire a person who does not have a Social Security card, this can mean a difference between a job or not. PEOPLE 60 AND over can now get an immediate benefit estimate. When they stop by a Social Security office, the Social Security representative can send a query through the system and get an estimate of the benefit they would get at age 62 or 65 while they wait. Before the change, it took several weeks for the information to arrive in the ~ mail. This can be a big help for people exploring their options as retirement approaches. THE REPORT also states that the agency has eliminated a four-year backlog in the posting .of wages to the earnings - records it maintains. The - earnings records are maintained for everyone working in jobs covered by Social Security. They are the basis for the payment — ' of benefits when a person retires, becomes disabled. I or to the family in case of ,D death. For people on Social Security rolls in 1983 who worked that year, this ^ development meant that 5 they received increased benefits based on their 1983 earnings about five months earlier than in previous years — in July instead of December as in past years. THE IMPROVEMENTS cited in the report are only the beginning of what we can expect from our in- ■ creased emphasis on systems modernization. They just happen to be the ones that have the most immediate public impact. Greater accuracy as well as speed in processing the workload can be expected. I

And continued reduction in administrative costs — which went from 1.8 percent of tax income in 1977 to 1.3 percent in 1984 — can be expected to result. The difference will be especially noticeble in the district offices, where increased computerization in the near future will dramatically change the way we handle our workloads. WHILE THE claimant is sitting at his or her desk, the Social Security representative will be able to enter the application for benefits directly into the system, bypassing the manual operations now required. I will be reporting on these developments as they take place. In the meantime. if you have anyjjuestions about Social Security's modernization efforts and how it may affect you. don't hesitate to call or write.

, Dor it Ward OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR — Jim Wallace is responsible for the smooth day-to-day operation of the office.

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