Gregory Holmes, district manager for Social SecurityI need to get something from Social Security to verify my income. How can I do that?
We provide three types of income proof:
1. A Benefit Verification Letter shows your monthly benefit amount. You can get your Benefit Verification Letter online at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. It often is used as official proof of income to:
• Apply for a loan.
• Give to a landlord.
• Obtain housing assistance, or other state or local benefits.
• Verify Medicare coverage; or
• Verify retirement status, disability, or age.
2. An SSA-1099 shows your annual income for income tax purposes. We mail the SSA-1099 by Jan. 31 each year. You can request an SSA-1099 online, or you can call us at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, or visit a local office. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov to locate the office nearest you.
3. An annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) notice is sent to all beneficiaries at the end of each year providing the amount of the monthly benefit for the following year.
I have an appointment to apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). What kind of information will I need to take with me?
So the application process can go smoothly, you should bring:
• Your Social Security number.
• Your original birth certificate or other proof of your age.
• Information about the home where you live, such as your mortgage or your lease and landlord's name.
• Payroll slips, bank balances, insurance policies, burial fund records, and other information about your income and the things you own.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status.
• If you are applying for SSI because you are disabled or blind, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals, and clinics that you have visited.
Learn more by reading our publication, You May Be Able To Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/11069.html.
Submit questions to local Social Security Director Gregory Holmes by writing to Business Editor Dave Flessner, Chattanooga Times Free Press, P.O. Box 1447, Chattanooga, TN 37401-1447, or by e-mailing him at dflessner@timesfreepress.com.