Not So Common Questions

With complicated lives, social security is also complicated.
Not So Common Questions
Every individual and family has a situation that is different or unique. Geber86/Shutterstock
Tom Margenau
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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column about some of the most common questions I receive. This week, I thought it would be interesting to write a column answering some of the more unusual questions I get. Or to clarify, they may be unusual to you. But not to me. In the 50-plus years I’ve been dealing with Social Security issues, I don’t think there is a single question I haven’t been asked many times before!

Q: I am an 85-year-old woman in Tucson. I recently took a friend to one of our local Social Security offices where she had an appointment to resolve a Medicare matter. While I was waiting in my car in the office parking lot, I noticed many young people who appeared to be in their 20s and 30s entering the office. What kind of benefits could they be applying for?

Tom Margenau
Tom Margenau
Author
Tom Margenau worked for 32 years in a variety of positions for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2005. He has served as the director of SSA’s public information office, the chief editor of more than 100 SSA publications, a deputy press officer and spokesman, and a speechwriter for the commissioner of Social Security. For 12 years, he also wrote Social Security columns for local newspapers, and recently published the book “Social Security: Simple and Smart.” If you have a Social Security question, contact him at [email protected]