YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
By DAVID BROWN

Many people have found a new way to deal with the many chores of the holiday season - by going on-line. Some shoppers have eliminated the need to go to crowded shopping malls for gifts by taking care of it all on-line. Other people pay their bills right over the Internet to save the time of writing checks or withdrawing cash for all of the season's purchases.

Mr. Brown is District Manager of the Social Security Administration's Downtown New York Office.

You'll find convenient, secure transactions can also be found in places you may not ordinarily think to look - for example, at Social Security!

You can apply for benefits, obtain information, plan for retirement, and request a replacement Medicare card, even apply for extra help with your prescription drug costs all at www.socialsecurity.gov .

According to a recent survey, Social Security's on-line retirement benefit application once again ranked at the top of all Federal government Web sites in customer satisfaction. Our "Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs" finished second, with several other Social Security Web site services making the top 10 of the survey.

Much of your Social Security business can be handled quickly and securely from your own home or office computer. If you just visit our Web site at www.socialsecurity.gov , you will find that you can:

• file for retirement, disability and spouse's benefits;
• check the status of your benefit application;
• change your address and/or phone number, if you receive monthly benefits;
• sign up for direct deposit of Social Security benefits;
• use agency benefit planners to help you better understand your Social Security protection as you plan for your financial future - and then use convenient benefit calculators to figure your monthly benefit amounts;
• find the Social Security office closest to your home; and
• request a replacement Medicare card.

Looking for more Social Security information? You can go on-line to find out almost anything you need to know about the Social Security program. Information is available on subjects ranging from how to get a Social Security number for a newborn to how to go back to work while receiving disability benefits.

This holiday, have more time to visit with friends and family. Take care of any Social Security business you may have at www.socialsecurity.gov.